THE   MYSTERY   OF  THE   FOUR 
FINGERS 


>' 


A    SHARP    CRY   OF    PAIN    ESCAPED    HER 


—  Page  223 


The  Mystery 
of  the  Four  Fingers 


BY 

FRED    M.   WHITE 

Author  of  "The  Midnight  Guest,"  "The  Crimson 
Blind,"  Etc.,  Etc. 


Illustrated  by 
WILL    GREFE 


NEW  YORK 

GROSSET   &    DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


d 


Copyright,  1908,  by 
W.  J.  WATT  &   COMPANY 


Published  February,  igo8 


CONTENTS 


CJHAPTEB 

PAGE 

I.- 

— The  Black  Patch        • 

.       7 

n.- 

—The  FmsT  Finger        • 

.     19 

111.- 

—The  Lost  Mine    .        , 

.     31 

IV.- 

—In  the  Lift  .        .        . 

.     42 

V.- 

—A  Puzzle  for  Venner 

.     53 

VI.- 

—A  Partial  Failure 

.     64 

yn.- 

—The  White  Lady 

.     75 

vni.- 

—Missing  .... 

.    87 

IX.- 

—A  New  Phase 

.     98 

X.- 

—The  Second  Finger     , 

.  110 

XI.- 

—An  Unexpected  Move         , 

.  122 

XII.- 

—The  House  Next  Door 

.  134 

xni.- 

—The  White  Lady  Again 

.  146 

XIV.- 

—Master  of  the  Situation 

.  158 

XV.- 

—Felix  Zary    . 

.  170 

XVI.- 

— Fenwick  Moves  Again 

.  181 

XVII.- 

— Merton  Grange   . 

.  192 

xvin.- 

—A  Couple  of  Visitors 

.  203 

XIX.- 

—Phantom  Gold 

[V] 

.  214 

CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX. — ^The  Prodigal's  Return      •        .  225 

XXI.— The  Third  Finger        .        .        .236 

XXII.— "The  Time  Will  Come"      .        .247 

XXIII.— SxMOKED  Out 258 

XXIV.— The  Mouth  of  the  Net     .        .  269 

XXV.— An  Act  of  Charity      .        .        .280 

XXVI.— The  Last  Finger         .        •        .291 

XXVII.— Nemesis 302 

XXVIII. — Explanations         ....  313 

XXIX.— This  Mortal  Coil        .        .        .324 

XXX.— A  Peaceful  Sunset       .        .       .335 


[vil 


The  Mystery  of  the  Four  Fingers 


CHAPTER  I 
The  Black  Patch 


Considering  it  was  nearly  the  height  of  the  Lon- 
don winter  season,  the  Great  Empire  Hotel  was  not 
unusually  crowded.  This  might  perhaps  have  been 
owing  to  the  fact  that  two  or  three  of  the  finest 
suites  of  rooms  in  the  building  had  been  engaged 
by  Mark  Fenwdck,  who  was  popularly  supposed  to 
be  the  last  thing  in  the  way  of  American  multi-mil- 
honaires.  No  one  knew  precisely  who  Fenwick 
was,  or  how  he  had  made  his  money;  but  during 
the  last  few  months  his  name  had  bulked  largely  in 
the  financial  Press  and  the  daily  periodicals  of  a 
sensational  character.  So  far,  the  man  had  hardly 
been  seen,  it  being  understood  that  he  was  suffer- 
ing from  a  chill,  contracted  on  his  voyage  to  Europe. 
Up  to  the  present  moment  he  had  taken  all  his 
meals  in  his  rooms,  but  it  was  whispered  now  that 
the  great  man  was  coming  down  to  dinner.  There 
was  quite  a  flutter  of  excitement  in  the  Venetian 
dining-room  about  eight  o'clock. 
[7] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

The  beautifully  decorated  saloon  had  a  sprink- 
ling of  well-dressed  men  and  women  already  dining 
decorously  there.  Everything  w^as  decorous  about 
the  Great  Empire  Hotel.  No  thought  had  been 
spared  in  the  effort  to  keep  the  place  quiet  and  se- 
lect. The  carpets  were  extra  thick,  and  the  waiters 
more  than  usually  soft-footed.  On  the  whole,  it 
was  a  restful  place,  though,  perhaps,  the  decora- 
tive scheme  of  its  lighting  erred  just  a  trifle  on  the 
side  of  the  sombre.  Still,  flowers  and  ferns  were 
soft  and  feathery.  The  band  played  just  loudly 
enough  to  stimulate  conversation  instead  of  drown- 
ing it.  At  one  of  the  little  tables  near  the  door  two 
men  were  dining.  One  had  the  alertness  and  vigor 
which  bespeaks  the  dweller  in  towns.  He  was 
neatly  groomed,  with  just  the  slight  suspicion  of 
the  dandy  in  his  dress,  though  it  was  obvious  at 
the  merest  glance  that  he  was  a  gentleman.  His 
short,  sleek  hair  gave  to  his  head  a  certain  sugges- 
tion of  strength.  The  eyes  which  gleamed  behind 
his  gold-rimmed  glasses  were  keen  and  steady. 
Most  men  about  town  were  acquainted  with  the 
name  of  Jim  Gurdon,  as  a  generation  before  had 
been  acquainted  with  his  prowess  in  the  athletic 
field.  Now  he  was  a  successful  barrister,  though 
his  ample  private  means  rendered  professional  work 
quite  unnecessary. 

The  other  man  was  taller,  and  more  loose-limbed, 
though  his  spare  frame  suggested  great  physical 
[8] 


THE   BLACK  PATCH 

strength.  He  was  dark  in  a  hawk-like  way,  though 
the  suggestion  of  the  adventurer  about  him  was 
softened  by  a  pair  of  frank  and  pleasant  grey  eyes. 
Gerald  Venner  was  tanned  to  a  fine,  healthy  bronze 
by  many  years  of  vvandering  all  over  the  world;  in 
fact,  he  was  one  of  those  restless  Englishmen  xdio 
cannot  for  long  be  satisfied  without  risking  his  life 
in  some  adventure  or  other. 

The  two  friends  sat  there  quietly  over  their  din- 
ner, criticising  from  time  to  time  those  about 
them. 

"After  all,"  Gurdon  said  presently,  "you  must 
admit  that  there  is  something  in  our  civiHzation. 
Now,  isn't  this  better  than  starving  under  a  thin 
blanket,  with  a  chance  of  being  murdered  before 
morning  ?  " 

Venner  shrugged  his  shoulders  indifferently. 

"I  don't  know,"  he  said.  "There  is  something 
in  danger  that  stimulates  me;  in  fact,  it  is  the  only 
thing  that  makes  fife  worth  living,  I  dare  say  you 
have  wondered  why  it  is  that  I  have  never  settled 
down  and  become  respectable  like  the  rest  of  you. 
If  you  heard  my  story,  you  would  not  be  surprised 
at  my  eccentric  mode  of  hving;  at  any  rate,  it  en- 
ables me  to  forget." 

Venner  uttered  the  last  words  slowly  and  sadly, 
as  if  he  were  talking  to  liimself,  and  had  forgotten 
the  presence  of  his  companion.  There  was  a  spec- 
ulative look  in  his  eyes,  much  as  if  London  had 
[9] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

vanished  and  he  could  see  the  orcliids  on  the  table 
before  him  growing  in  their  native  forests. 

"  I  suppose  I  don't  look  much  like  a  man  with  a 
past,"  he  went  on;  "like  a  man  who  is  the  victim 
of  a  great  sorrow.  I'll  tell  you  the  story  presently, 
but  not  here;  I  really  could  not  do  it  in  surround- 
ings Hke  these.  I've  tried  everything,  even  to 
money-making,  but  that  is  the  worst  and  most  un- 
satisfactory process  of  the  lot.  There  is  nothing  so 
sordid  as  that." 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,"  Gurdon  laughed.  "It  is 
better  to  be  a  multi-millionaire  than  a  king  to-day. 
Take  the  case  of  this  man  Fenwick,  for  instance; 
the  papers  are  making  more  fuss  of  him  than  if  he 
were  the  President  of  the  United  States  or  royalty 
travelling  incognito." 

Venner  smiled  more  or  less  contemptuously.  He 
turned  to  take  a  casual  glance  at  a  noisy  party  who 
had  just  come  into  the  dining-room,  for  the  frivolous 
note  jarred  upon  him.  Almost  immediately  the 
little  party  sat  down,  and  the  decorous  air  of  the 
room  seemed  to  subdue  them.  Immediately  be- 
hind them  followed  a  man  who  came  dragging  his 
limbs  behind  him,  supported  on  either  side  by  a 
servant.  He  was  quite  a  young  man,  with  a  won- 
derfully handsome,  clean-shaven  face.  Indeed,  so 
handsome  was  he,  that  Venner  could  think  of  no 
more  fitting  simile  for  his  beauty  than  the  trite  old 
comparison  of  the  Greek  god.  The  man's  features 
[10] 


THE   BLACK   PATCH 

were  perfectly  chiselled,  slightly  melancholy  and 
romantic,  and  strongly  suggestive  of  the  early  por- 
traits of  Lord  Byron.  Yet,  all  the  same,  the  almost 
perfect  face  was  from  time  to  time  twisted  and  dis- 
torted with  pain,  and  from  time  to  time  there  came 
into  the  dark,  melancholy  eyes  a  look  of  almost 
malignant  fury.  It  was  evident  that  the  newcomer 
suffered  from  racking  pain,  for  his  lips  were  twitch- 
ing, and  Venner  could  see  that  his  even,  white  teeth 
were  clenched  together.  On  the  whole,  it  was  a 
striking  figure  to  intrude  upon  the  smooth  gaiety 
of  the  dining-room,  for  it  seemed  to  Venner  that 
death  and  the  stranger  were  more  than  casual  ac- 
quaintances. He  had  an  idea  that  it  was  only  a 
strong  will  which  kept  the  invalid  on  this  side  of 
the  grave. 

The  sufferer  sank  at  length  with  a  sigh  of  relief 
into  a  large  armchair,  which  had  been  specially 
placed  for  him.  He  waved  the  servants  aside  as  if 
he  had  no  further  use  for  them,  and  commenced 
to  study  his  menu,  as  if  he  had  no  thought  for  any- 
thing else.  Venner  did  not  fail  to  note  that  the 
man  had  the  full  use  of  liis  arms,  and  his  eye  dwelt 
with  critical  approval  on  the  strong,  muscular  hands 
and  wrists. 

"  I  wonder  who  that  fellow  is  ?  "  he  said.  "  What 
a  magnificent  frame  his  must  have  been  before  he 
got  so  terribly  broken  up." 

"He  is  certainly  a  fascinating  personality,"  Gur- 
[11] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

don  admitted.  "Somehow,  he  strikes  me  not  so 
much  as  the  victim  of  an  accident  as  an  unfortu- 
nate being  who  is  suffering  from  the  result  of  some 
terrible  form  of  vengeance.  What  a  character  he 
would  make  for  a  story!  I  am  ready  to  bet  any- 
thing in  reason  that  if  we  could  get  to  the  bottom  of 
his  history  it  would  be  a  most  dramatic  one.  It 
regularly  appeals  to  the  imagination.  I  can  quite 
believe  our  friend  yonder  has  dragged  himself  out 
of  bed  by  sheer  force  of  will  to  keep  some  appoint- 
ment whereby  he  can  wreak  his  long  nursed  revenge." 

"Not  in  a  place  like  this,"  Venner  smiled. 

"  Why  not  ?  In  the  old  days  these  things  used 
to  be  played  out  to  the  accompaniment  of  thunder 
and  lightning  on  a  blasted  heath.  Now  we  are 
much  more  quiet  and  gentle  in  our  methods.  It  is 
quite  evident  that  our  handsome  friend  is  expect- 
ing someone  to  dine  with  him.  He  gives  a  most 
excellent  dinner  to  his  enemy,  points  out  to  him 
his  faults  in  the  most  gentlemanly  fashion,  and 
then  proceeds  to  poison  him  with  a  specially  pre- 
pared cigar.  I  can  see  the  whole  thing  in  the  form 
of  a  short  story." 

Venner  smiled  at  the  conceit  of  his  companion. 
He  was  more  than  haK  inchned  to  take  a  sentimental 
view  of  the  thing  himself.  He  turned  to  the  waiter 
to  give  some  order,  and  as  he  did  so,  his  eyes  en- 
countered two  more  people,  a  man  and  a  woman, 
who,  at  that  moment,  entered  the  dining-room. 
[12] 


THE  BLACK  PATCH 

The  man  was  somewhat  past  middle  age,  with  a 
large  bald  head,  covered  with  a  shining  dome  of 
yellow  skin,  and  a  yellow  face  lighted  by  a  pair  of 
deep-sunk  dark  eyes.  The  whole  was  set  off  and 
rendered  sinister  by  a  small  hook  nose  and  a  little 
black  moustache.  For  the  rest,  the  man  was  short 
and  inclined  to  be  stout.  He  walked  with  a  won- 
derfully light  and  agile  step  for  a  man  of  liis  weight; 
in  fact  he  seemed  to  reach  his  seat  much  as  a  cat 
might  have  done.  Indeed,  despite  his  bulk,  there 
was  something  strangely  feline  about  the  stranger. 

Venner  gave  a  peculiar  gasp  and  gurgle.  His 
eyes  started.  All  the  blood  receded  from  his  brown 
face,  leaving  him  ghastly  wliite  under  his  tan.  It 
was  no  aspect  of  fear — rather  one  of  surprise, — of 
strong  and  unconquerable  emotion.  At  the  same 
moment  Venner's  hand  snapped  the  stem  of  his 
wine  glass,  and  the  champagne  frothed  upon  the 
table. 

"  Who  is  that  man  ?  "  Venner  asked  of  the  waiter. 
His  tone  was  so  strained  and  harsh  that  he  hardly 
recognised  his  own  voice.  "Who  is  the  man,  I 
say.''  No,  no;  I  don't  mean  him.  I  mean  that 
stout  man,  with  the  lady  in  white,  over  there." 

The  waiter  stared  at  the  speaker  in  astonislmtient. 
He  seemed  to  wonder  where  he  had  been  all  these 
years. 

"That,  sir,  is  Mr.  Mark  Fenwick,  the  American 
millionaire." 

[13] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Venner  waved  the  speaker  aside.  He  was  re- 
covering from  his  emotion  now  and  the  blood  had 
returned  once  more  to  his  cheeks.  He  became 
conscious  of  the  fact  that  Gurdon  was  regarding 
him  with  a  polite,  yet  none  the  less  critical, 
wonder. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  the  latter  asked.  "  Really, 
the  air  seems  full  of  mystery.  Do  you  know  that 
for  the  last  two  minutes  you  have  been  regarding 
that  obese  capitalist  with  a  look  that  was  absolutely 
murderous  ?  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  have 
ever  seen  him  before  .'^" 

"Indeed,  I  have,"  Venner  replied.  "But  on  the 
last  occasion  of  our  meeting,  he  did  not  call  him- 
self Mark  Fenwick,  or  by  any  other  name  so  dis- 
tinctly British.  Look  at  him  now;  look  at  his  yel- 
low skin  with  the  deep  patches  of  purple  at  the 
roots  of  the  little  hair  he  has.  Mark  the  shape  of 
his  face  and  the  peculiar  oblique  slit  of  his  eyelids. 
AVould  you  take  that  man  for  an  Englishman  ?  " 

"No,  I  shouldn't,"  Gurdon  said  frankly.  "If  I 
had  to  hazard  a  guess,  I  should  say  he  is  either 
Portuguese  or  perhaps  something  of  the  Mexican 
half  caste." 

"You  would  not  be  far  wrong,"  Venner  said 
quietly.  "I  suppose  you  thought  that  the  appear- 
ance of  that  man  here  to-night  was  something  of  a 
shock  to  me.  You  can  little  guess  what  sort  of  a 
shock  it  has  been.  I  promise  to  tell  you  my  story 
[14] 


THE   BLACK  PATCH 

presently,  so  it  will  have  to  keep.  In  the  meantime, 
it  is  my  mood  to  sit  here  and  watch  that  man."         , 

"Personally,  I  am  much  more  interested  in  his 
companion,"  Gurdon  laughed.  "A  daughter  of  the 
gods,  if  ever  there  was  one.  WTiat  a  face,  and  what 
a  figure!  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  didn't 
notice  her  as  she  came  in  ^  " 

"Positively  I  didn't,"  Venner  confessed.  "My 
whole  attention  was  rivetted  on  the  man.  I  tell 
you  I  can  see  absolutely  nothing  but  his  great,  yel- 
low, wicked  face,  and  for  the  background  the  ro- 
mantic spot  where  we  last  met." 

It  was  Gurdon's  turn  now  to  listen.  He  leant 
forward  in  his  chair,  his  whole  attention  concen- 
trated upon  the  figure  of  the  stranger,  huddled  up 
in  the  armchair  at  the  little  table  opposite.  He 
touched  Venner  on  the  arm,  and  indicated  the 
figure  of  the  man  who  had  suflFered  so  cruelly  in 
some  form  or  other. 

"The  plot  thickens,"  Venner  murmured.  " Upon 
my  word,  he  seems  to  know  this  Mark  Fenwick  as 
well  as  I  do." 

The  maimed  crippled  figure  in  the  armchair  had 
dragged  himself  almost  to  his  feet,  with  his  power- 
ful, muscular  arm  propping  him  against  the  table. 
His  unusually  handsome  face  was  all  broken  and 
twisted  up  with  an  expression  of  malignant  fury. 
He  stood  there  for  a  moment  or  two  like  a  statue 
of  uncontrollable  passion,  rigid,  fixed,  and  motion- 
[15] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

less,  save  for  the  twitching  of  his  face.  Then, 
gradually  he  dropped  back  into  his  chair  again,  a 
broken  and  huddled  heap,  quivering  from  head  to 
foot  with  the  pain  caused  by  his  recent  exertion, 
A  moment  later  he  took  from  his  breast  pocket  a 
silk  shade,  which  he  proceeded  to  tie  over  his  eyes, 
as  if  the  light  hurt  him.  Watching  his  every  move- 
ment with  intense  eagerness,  the  two  friends  saw 
that  he  had  also  taken  from  his  pocket  a  small  silver 
case,  about  the  same  size  as  an  ordinary  box  of 
safety  matches.  Indeed,  the  case  looked  not  unlike 
the  silver  coverings  for  wood  matches,  wliich  are 
generally  to  be  seen  in  well-appointed  households. 
Then,  as  if  nothing  interested  him  further,  he  leaned 
back  in  his  chair,  and  appeared  to  give  himself 
over  entirely  to  his  enjoyment  of  the  orchestra.  In 
all  probability  no  diner  there  besides  Venner  and 
Gurdon  had  noticed  anything  in  the  least  out  of  the 
common. 

"This  is  very  dramatic,"  Gurdon  said.  "Here 
is  a  melo-drama  actually  taking  place  in  a  comedy 
*  set '  like  this.  I  am  glad  you  will  be  in  a  position 
later  on  to  gratify  my  curiosity.  I  confess  I  should 
like  to  learn  something  more  about  this  Mark  Fen- 
wick,  who  does  not  appear  to  be  in  the  least  like 
one's  idea  of  the  prosaic  money  spinner." 

"He  isn't,"  Venner  said  grimly.  "Anything  but 
that.  Why,  three  years  ago  that  man  was  as  poor 
and  desperate  as  the  most  wretched  outcast  who 
[16] 


THE   BLACK  PATCH 

walks  the  streets  of  London  to-night.  And  one 
thing  you  may  be  certain  of — wherever  you  dine 
from  now  to  your  dying  day,  you  will  be  under  the 
roof  of  no  more  diabolical  scoundrel  than  the  crea- 
ture who  calls  himself  Mark  Fen  wick." 

There  was  a  deep  note  in  Venner's  voice  that 
did  not  fail  to  stimulate  Gurdon's  curiosity.  He 
glanced  again  at  the  milhonaire,  who  appeared  to 
be  talking  in  some  foreign  tongue  with  his  compan- 
ion. The  tall,  fair  girl  with  the  shining  hair  had 
her  back  to  the  friends,  so  they  could  not  see  her 
face,  and  when  she  spoke  it  was  in  a  tone  so  low 
that  it  was  not  possible  to  catch  anything  more  than 
the  sweetness  of  her  voice. 

"  I  wonder  what  she  is  doing  with  him  ? "  Gur- 
don  said.  "At  any  rate,  she  is  English  enough. 
I  never  saw  a  woman  vdth  a  more  thoroughbred 
air.     She  is  looking  this  way." 

Just  for  a  moment  the  girl  turned  her  head,  and 
Venner  caught  a  full  sight  of  her  face.  It  was  only 
for  an  instant;  then  the  fair  head  was  turned  again, 
and  the  girl  appeared  to  resume  her  dinner.  Ven- 
ner jumped  from  his  chair  and  took  three  strides 
across  the  room.  He  paused  there  as  if  struggling 
to  regain  possession  of  himself ;  then  he  dropped  into 
his  chair  again,  shielding  his  face  from  the  light 
with  his  hands.  Gurdon  could  see  that  his  com- 
panion's face  had  turned  to  a  ghastly  grey.  Veri- 
tably it  was  a  night  of  surprises,  quick,  dra- 
2  [17]  ^ 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

matic  surprises,  following  close  upon  one  another's 
heels. 

"  What,  do  you  mean  to  say  you  know  her,  too  ?  " 
Gurdon  whispered. 

Venner  looked  up  with  a  strange,  unsteady  smile 
on  his  face.  He  appeared  to  be  fighting  hard  to  re- 
gain his  self-control. 

"  Indeed,  I  do  know  her,"  he  said.  "  My  friend, 
you  are  going  to  have  all  the  surprises  you  want. 
What  will  you  say  when  I  tell  you  that  the  girl  who 
sits  there,  utterly  unconscious  of  my  presence,  and 
deeming  me  to  be  at  the  other  end  of  the  world,  is 
no  less  a  person  than — my  own  wife  ?  " 


[18] 


CHAPTER  II 

The  First  Finger 

GuRDON  waited  for  his  companion  to  go  on.  It 
was  a  boast  of  his  that  he  had  exhausted  most  of 
the  sensations  of  Hfe,  and  that  he  never  allowed 
anything  to  astonish  him.  All  the  same,  he  was 
astonished  now,  and  surprised  beyond  words.  For 
the  last  twenty-five  years,  on  and  off,  he  had  known 
Venner.  Indeed,  there  had  been  few  secrets  be- 
tween them  since  the  day  when  they  had  come  down 
from  Oxford  together.  From  time  to  time,  during 
his  wanderings,  Venner  had  written  to  his  old  chum 
a  fairly  complete  account  of  his  adventures.  Dur- 
ing the  last  three  years  the  letters  had  been  meagre 
and  far  between;  and  at  their  meeting  a  few  days 
ago,  Gurdon  had  noticed  a  reticence  in  the  manner 
of  his  old  chum  that  he  had  not  seen  before. 

He  waited  now,  naturally  enough,  for  the  other 
to  give  some  explanation  of  his  extraordinary  state- 
ment, but  Venner  appeared  to  have  forgotten  all 
about  Gurdon.  He  sat  there  shielding  one  side  of 
liis  face,  heedless  of  the  attentions  of  the  waiter, 
who  proffered  him  food  from  time  to  time. 

"Is  that  all  you  are  going  to  tell  me?"  Gurdon 
asked  at  length. 

[193 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  am  very  sorry,"  Venner  said. 
"  But  you  will  excuse  me  if  I  say  nothing  more  at 
present.  You  can  imagine  what  a  shock  this  has 
been  to  me." 

"  Of  course.  I  don't  wish  to  be  impertinent,  old 
chap,  but  I  presume  that  there  has  been  some  little 
misunderstanding " 

"  Not  in  the  least.  There  has  been  no  misunder- 
standing whatever.  I  honestly  believe  that  the 
woman  over  yonder  is  still  just  as  passionately  fond 
of  me  as  I  am  of  her.  As  you  know,  Gurdon,  I 
never  was  much  of  a  ladies'  man;  in  fact,  you  fel- 
lows at  Oxford  used  to  chaff  me  because  I  was  so 
ill  at  ease  in  the  society  of  women.  Usually  a  man 
like  myself  falls  in  love  but  once  in  his  lifetime,  and 
then  never  changes.  At  any  rate,  that  is  my  case. 
I  worship  the  ground  that  girl  walks  upon.  I  would 
have  given  up  my  life  cheerfully  for  her;  I  would 
do  so  now  if  I  could  save  her  a  moment's  pain. 
You  think,  perhaps,  that  she  saw  me  when  she  came 
in  here  to-night.  That  is  where  you  have  got  the 
impression  that  there  is  some  misunderstanding 
between  us.  You  talked  just  now  of  dramatic  sur- 
prises. I  could  show  you  one  even  beyond  your 
powers  of  imagination  if  I  chose.  What  would 
you  say  if  I  told  you  that  three  years  ago  I  became 
the  husband  of  that  beautiful  girl  yonder,  and  that 
from  half-an-hour  after  the  ceremony  till  the  pres- 
ent moment  I  have  never  set  eyes  on  her  again  ?  " 
[20] 


THE   FIRST  FINGER 

**It  seems  almost  incredible,"  Gurdon  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  I  suppose  it  does.  But  it  is  absolutely  a 
fact  all  the  same.  I  can't  tell  you  here  the  romance 
of  my  life.  I  couldn't  do  it  in  surroundings  like 
these.  We  will  go  on  to  your  rooms  presently,  and 
then  I  will  make  a  clean  breast  of  the  whole  thing 
to  you.  You  may  be  disposed  to  laugh  at  me  for 
a  sentimentalist,  but  I  should  like  to  stay  here  a 
little  longer,  if  it  is  only  now  and  again  to  hear  a 
word  or  two  from  her  lips.  If  you  will  push  those 
flowers  across  between  me  and  the  light  I  shall  be 
quite  secure  from  observation.  I  think  that  will 
do." 

"  But  you  don't  mean  to  tell  me,"  Gurdon  mur- 
mured, "that  the  lady  in  question  is  the  daughter 
of  that  picturesque-looking  old  ruflfian,  Mark 
Fenwick .'' " 

"Of  course,  she  isn't,"  Venner  said,  with  great 
contempt.  "What  the  connection  is  between  them, 
I  cannot  say.  What  strange  fate  Unks  them  to- 
gether is  as  much  a  mystery  to  me  as  it  is  to  you. 
I  do  not  like  it,  but  I  let  it  pass,  feeling  so  sure  of 
Vera's  innocence  and  integrity.  But  the  waiter 
will  tell  us.  Here,  waiter,  is  the  lady  dining  over 
there  with  Mr.  Fenwick  his  daughter  or  not  ?  " 

" Certainly,  sir,"  the  waiter  responded.  "That  is 
Miss  Fenwick." 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment  or  two  between 
the  two  friends.  Venner  appeared  to  be  deeply 
[21] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

immersed  in  his  own  thoughts,  while  Gurdon's  eyes 
travelled  quickly  between  the  table  where  the  mil- 
honaire  sat  and  the  deep  armchair,  in  which  the 
invalid  lay  huddled;  and  Venner  now  saw  that  the 
cripple  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  was  regard- 
ing Fenwick  and  his  companion  with  the  intentness 
of  a  cat  watching  a  mouse. 

Dinner  had  now  come  pretty  well  to  an  end,  and 
the  coffee  and  liqueurs  were  going  round.  A  cup 
was  placed  before  Fenwick,  who  turned  to  one  of 
the  waiters  with  a  quick  order  w^liich  the  latter 
hastened  to  obey.  The  order  was  given  so  clearly 
that  Gurdon  could  hear  distinctly  what  it  was.  He 
had  asked  for  a  light,  wherewith  to  burn  the  glass 
of  Cura9oa  which  he  intended  to  take,  foreign 
fashion,  in  his  coffee. 

"  And  don't  forget  to  bring  me  a  wooden  match,'* 
he  commanded.  "  Household  matches.  Last  night 
one  of  your  men  brought  me  a  vesta.'' 

The  waiter  hurried  off  to  execute  his  commis- 
sion, but  his  intention  was  anticipated  by  another 
waiter  who  had  apparently  been  doing  nothing  and 
hanging  about  in  the  background.  The  second 
waiter  was  a  small,  lithe  man,  with  beady,  black 
eyes  and  curly  hair.  For  some  reason  or  other, 
Gurdon  noticed  liim  particularly;  then  he  saw  a 
strange  thing  happen.  The  little  waiter  with  the 
snaky  hair  glanced  swiftly  across  the  room  in  the 
direction  of  the  cripple  huddled  up  in  the  armchair. 
[22] 


I 


IT    FELL    FROM    HIS    FINGERS    AS    IK    IT    HAD    CONTAINED 
SOME    POISONOUS    INSECT 

—Page  2S 


THE   FIRST  FINGER 

Just  as  if  he  had  been  waiting  for  a  signal,  the  in- 
valid stretched  out  one  of  his  long  arms,  and  laid 
his  fingers  significantly  on  the  tiny  silver  box  he  had 
deposited  on  the  table  some  little  time  before.  The 
small  waiter  went  across  the  room  and  deliberately 
lifted  the  silver  box  from  the  table.  He  then  walked 
briskly  across  to  where  the  millionaire  was  seated, 
placed  the  box  close  to  his  elbow,  and  vanished. 
He  seemed  to  fairly  race  down  the  room  until  he 
was  lost  in  a  pile  of  palms  which  masked  the  door. 
Gurdon  had  followed  all  this  with  the  deepest  pos- 
sible interest.  Venner  sat  there,  apparently  lost  to 
all  sense  of  his  surroundings.  His  head  was  on  his 
hands,  and  his  mind  was  apparently  far  away. 
Therefore,  Gurdon  was  left  entirely  to  himself,  to 
study  the  strange  things  that  were  going  on  around 
him.  His  whole  attention  was  noAv  concentrated 
upon  Fenwick,  who  presently  tilted  his  glass  of 
Cura9oa  dexterously  into  his  coffee  cup,  and  then 
stretched  out  his  hand  for  the  silver  match  box  by 
his  side.  He  was  still  talking  to  his  companion 
while  he  fumbled  for  a  match  without  looking  at 
the  little  case  in  his  hand.  Suddenly  he  ceased  to 
speak,  his  black  eyes  rivetted  on  the  box.  It  fell 
from  his  fingers  as  if  it  had  contained  some  poison- 
ous insect,  and  he  rose  to  his  feet  with  a  sudden 
scream  that  could  be  heard  all  over  the  room. 

There  was  a  quick  hush  in  the  conversation,  and 
every  head  was  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  million- 
[23] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

aire's  table.  Practically  every  diner  there  knew 
who  the  man  with  the  yellow  head  was,  so  that  the 
starthng  interruption  was  all  the  more  unexpected. 
Once  again  the  frightened  cry  rang  out,  and  then 
Fenwick  stood,  gazing  with  horrified  eyes  and  white, 
ghastly  face  at  the  innocent  looking  little  box  on  the 
table. 

*'  Who  brought  this  here  ?  "  he  screamed.  "  Bring 
that  waiter  here.  Find  him  at  once.  Find  him  at 
once,  I  say.  A  little  man  with  beady  eyes  and  hair 
like  rats'  tails." 

The  head  waiter  bustled  up,  full  of  importance; 
but  it  was  in  vain  that  he  asked  for  some  explana- 
tion of  what  had  happened.  All  Fenwick  could  do 
was  to  stand  there  gesticulating  and  calling  aloud 
for  the  production  of  the  erring  waiter. 

"  But  I  assure  you,  sir,"  the  head  waiter  said,  "  we 
have  no  waiter  here  who  answers  to  the  description 
of  the  man  you  mention.  They  are  all  here  now, 
every  waiter  who  has  entered  the  room  to-night.  If 
you  will  be  so  good  as  to  pick  out  the  one  who  has 
offended  you " 

Fenwick's  startled,  bloodshot  eyes  ranged  slowly 
over  the  array  of  waiters  which  had  been  gathered 
for  his  inspection  round  his  table.  Presently  he 
shook  his  head  with  an  impatient  gesture. 

"  I  tell  you,  he  is  not  here,"  he  cried.  "  The  man 
is  not  here.  He  is  quite  small,  with  very  queer, 
black  hair." 

[24] 


THE  FIRST  FINGER 

The  head  waiter  was  equally  positive  in  his  as- 
surance. Louder  rose  the  angry  voice  of  the  mil- 
lionaire, till  at  length  Venner  was  aroused  from  his 
reverie  and  looked  up  to  Gurdon  to  know  what  was 
going  on.  The  latter  explained  as  far  as  possible, 
not  omitting  to  describe  the  strange  matter  of  the 
silver  box.  Venner  smiled  with  the  air  of  a  man 
who  could  say  a  great  deal  if  he  chose. 

"  It  is  all  part  of  the  programme,"  he  said.  "  That 
will  come  in  my  story  later  on.  But  what  puzzles 
me  is  where  that  handsome  cripple  comes  in.  The 
mystery  deepens." 

By  this  time  Fenwick's  protestations  had  grown 
weaker.  He  seemed  to  ramble  on  in  a  mixture  of 
EngUsh  and  Portuguese  which  was  exceedingly 
puzzUng  to  the  head  waiter,  who  still  was  utterly 
in  the  dark  as  to  the  cause  of  offence.  INIost  of  the 
diners  had  gathered  round  the  millionaire's  table 
with  polite  curiosity,  and  sundry  offers  of  assistance. 

"I  think  we  had  better  get  to  our  own  room,"  a 
sweet,  gentle  voice  said,  as  the  tall,  fair  girl  by  Fen- 
wick's side  rose  and  moved  in  the  direction  of  the 
door.  It  was,  perhaps,  unfortunate  that  Venner 
had  risen  at  the  same  time.  As  he  strode  from  his 
own  table,  he  came  face  to  face  with  the  girl  who 
stood  there  watching  him  with  something  like  pain 
in  her  blue  eyes.  Just  for  an  instant  she  staggered 
back,  and  apparently  would  have  fallen  had  not 
Venner  placed  his  arm  about  her  waist.  In  the 
[25] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

strange  confusion  caused  by  the  unexpected  dis- 
turbance, nobody  had  noticed  this  besides  Gurdon, 
who  promptly  rose  to  the  occasion. 

"You  had  better  take  the  lady  as  far  as  her  own 
rooms,"  he  said.  "This  business  has  evidently 
been  too  much  for  her.  Meanwhile,  I  will  see  what 
I  can  do  for  Mr.  Fenwick." 

Venner  shot  his  friend  a  glance  of  gratitude.  He 
did  not  hesitate  for  a  moment;  he  saw  that  the  girl 
by  his  side  was  quite  incapable  of  offering  any  ob- 
jections for  the  present.  In  his  own  strong,  mas- 
terful way,  he  drew  the  girl's  hand  under  his  arm, 
and  fairly  dragged  her  from  the  room  into  the  com- 
parative silence  and  seclusion  of  the  corridor  beyond. 

"  Which  way  do  we  go  ?  "  he  asked. 

"The  Grand  Staircase,"  the  girl  replied  faintly. 
"It  is  on  the  first  floor.  But  you  must  not  come 
with  me,  you  must  come  no  further.  It  would  be 
madness  for  him  to  know  that  we  are  together." 

"He  will  not  come  just  yet,"  Venner  replied. 
"My  friend  knows  something  of  my  story,  and  he 
will  do  his  best  to  get  us  five  minutes  together.  Yon 
have  heard  me  speak  of  Jim  Gurdon  before." 

"But  it  is  madness,"  the  girl  whispered.  "You 
know  how  dangerous  it  is.  Oh,  Gerald,  what  must 
you  think  of  me  when —  " 

"  I  swear  to  you  that  I  think  nothing  of  you  that 
is  unkind  or  ungenerous,"  Venner  protested.  "By 
a  cruel  stroke  of  fate  we  were  parted  at  the  very 
[26] 


THE   FIRST  FINGER 

moment  when  our  happiness  seemed  most  complete. 
WTiy  you  left  me  in  the  strange  way  you  did,  I  have 
never  yet  learned.  In  your  letter  to  me  you  told 
me  you  were  bound  to  act  as  you  did,  and  I  believed 
you  implicitly.  How  many  men  in  similar  circum- 
stances would  have  behaved  as  I  did  ?  How  many 
men  would  have  gone  on  honoring  a  wife  who  be- 
trayed her  husband  as  you  betrayed  me .''  And 
yet,  as  I  stand  here  at  this  moment,  looking  into 
your  eyes,  I  feel  certain  that  you  are  the  same  sweet 
and  innocent  girl  who  did  me  the  happiness  to  be- 
come my  wife." 

The  beautiful  face  quivered,  and  the  blue  eyes 
filled  with  tears.  Her  trembling  hand  lay  on  Ven- 
ner's  arm  for  a  moment;  then  he  caught  the  girl 
to  his  side  and  kissed  her  passionately. 

"I  thank  you  for  those  words,"  she  whispered. 
"From  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  thank  you.  If 
you  only  knew  what  I  have  suffered,  if  you  only 
knew  the  terrible  pressure  that  is  put  upon  me; — • 
and  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  was  acting  for  the  best. 
I  hoped,  too,  that  you  would  go  away  and  forget 
mie;  that  in  the  course  of  time  I  should  be  nothing 
more  than  a  memory  to  you.  And  yet,  in  my  heart, 
I  always  felt  that  we  should  meet  again.  Is  it  not 
strange  that  we  should  come  together  like  this  ?  " 

"I  do  not  see  that  it  is  in  the  least  strange," 
Venner  repHed,  "  considering  that  I  have  been  look- 
ing for  you  for  the  last  three  years.  When  I  found 
[27] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

you  to-night,  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that 
I  restrained  myself  from  laying  my  hands  on  the 
man  who  is  the  cause  of  all  your  misery  and  suffer- 
ing. How  long  has  he  been  passing  for  an  Eng- 
lishman ?  Since  when  has  he  been  a  millionaire  ? 
If  he  be  a  millionaire  at  all." 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,"  the  girl  whispered.  "  Really, 
I  do  not  know.  A  httle  time  ago  we  were  poor 
enough;  then  suddenly,  money  seemed  to  come  in 
from  all  sides.  I  asked  no  questions;  they  would 
not  have  been  answered  if  I  had.  At  least,  not 
truthfully.  And  now  you  really  must  go.  When 
shall  I  see  you  again .?  Ah,  I  cannot  tell  you.  For 
the  present  you  must  go  on  trusting  me  as  implicitly 
as  you  have  done  in  the  past.  Oh,  if  you  only 
knew  how  it  wrings  my  heart  to  have  to  speak  to 
you  like  this,  when  all  the  time  my  whole  love  is 
for  you  and  you  alone.  Gerald — ah,  go  now;  go 
at  once.  Don't  you  see  that  he  is  coming  up  the 
stairs  ?  " 

Venner  turned  away,  and  slipped  down  a  side 
corridor,  till  Fenwick  had  entered  his  own  room. 
Then  he  walked  down  the  stairs  again  into  the  din- 
ing-room, where  a  heated  discussion  was  still  going 
on  as  to  the  identity  of  the  missing  waiter. 

"They'll    never    find   him,"    Gurdon    muttered, 

*'  for  the  simple  reason  that  the  fellow  was  imported 

for  the  occasion,  and,  in  my  opinion,  was  no  waiter 

at  all.     You  will  notice  also  that  our  crippled  friend 

[28] 


THE   FIRST  FINGER 

has  vanished.  I  would  give  a  great  deal  to  know 
what  was  in  the  box  that  pretty  nearly  scared  the 
yellow  man  to  death.  I  never  saw  a  fellow  so 
frightened  in  my  life.  He  had  to  fortify  himself 
with  two  brandies  before  he  could  get  up  to  his 
own  room.  Gerald,  I  really  must  find  out  what 
was  in  that  box ! " 

"I  think  I  could  tell  you,"  Venner  said,  with  a 
smile.  "Didn't  you  teU  me  that  the  mysterious 
waiter  fetched  it  from  the  table  where  it  had  been 
placed  by  the  handsome  cripple  ?  " 

"Certainly,  he  did.  I  saw  the  signal  pass  di- 
rectly Fenwick  asked  for  a  wooden  match;  that 
funny  little  waiter  was  palpably  waiting  for  the  sil- 
ver box,  and  as  soon  as  he  placed  it  on  Fenwick's 
table,  he  discreetly  vanished.  But,  as  I  said  be- 
fore, I  would  give  considerable  to  know  what  was 
in  that  box." 

"Well,  go  and  see,"  Venner  said  grimly.  "Un- 
less my  eyes  deceive  me,  the  box  is  still  lying  on 
Fenwick's  table.  In  his  fright,  he  forgot  all  about 
it,  and  there  isn't  a  waiter  among  the  whole  lot, 
from  the  chief  downwards,  who  has  a  really  clear 
impression  of  what  the  offence  was.  If  you  take 
my  advice,  you  will  go  and  have  a  peep  into  that 
box  when  you  get  the  chance.  Don't  tell  me  what 
you  find,  because  I  will  guess  that." 

Gurdon  crossed  over  to  the  other  table,  and  took 
the  box  up  in  his  hand.  He  pulled  the  slide  out 
[29] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

and  glanced  at  the  contents  with  a  puzzled  expres- 
sion of  face.  Then  he  dropped  the  box  again,  and 
came  back  to  Venner  with  a  look  on  his  face  as  if 
he  had  been  handling  something  more  than  usually 
repulsive. 

"You  needn't  tell  me  what  it  is,"  Venner  said. 
"I  know  quite  as  well  as  you  do.  Inside  that  box 
is  a  dried  up  piece  of  flesh,  some  three  inches  long 
— in  other  words  a  TnMmvn.i.fied  human  forefinger." 


[30  5 


CHAPTER  III 

The  Lost   Mine 

GuRDON  nodded  thoughtfully.  He  was  trying  to 
piece  the  puzzle  together  in  his  mind,  but  so  far 
without  success.  He  was  not  in  the  least  surprised 
to  find  that  Venner  had  guessed  correctly. 

"You've  got  it  exactly,"  he  said.  "That  is  just 
what  the  gruesome  thing  is.    WTiat  does  it  all  mean  ? " 

By  this  time  dinner  had  long  been  a  thing  of  the 
past,  and  all  the  guests  had  departed.  Here  and 
there  the  lights  were  turned  down,  leaving  half  the 
room  in  semi-darkness.  It  was  just  the  time  and 
place  for  an  exchange  of  confidences. 

"How  did  you  know  exactly  what  was  in  that 
box  ?  "  Gurdon  asked.  "  I  have  read  things  of  this 
kind  before,  but  they  have  generally  taken  the  form 
of  a  warning  previous  to  some  act  of  vengeance." 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,  this  is  something  of  the 
same  kind,"  Venner  said;  "though  I  am  bound  to 
say  that  my  guess  was  somewhat  in  the  nature  of 
a  shot.  Still,  putting  two  and  two  together,  I  felt 
that  I  could  not  have  been  far  wrong.  Since  I  have 
been  here  this  evening,  I  have  begun  to  form  a 
pretty  shrewd  opinion  as  to  where  Fenwick  gets 
his  money." 

[31] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"What  shall  we  do  with  that  box?"  Gurdon 
asked. 

"Leave  it  where  it  is,  by  all  means.  You  may 
depend  upon  it  that  Fenwick  will  return  for  his  lost 
property." 

The  prophecy  came  true  quicker  than  Gurdon 
had  expected,  for  out  of  the  gloom  there  presently 
emerged  the  yellow  face  of  Mark  Fenwick.  He 
came  in  with  a  furtive  air,  Uke  some  mean  thief 
who  is  about  to  do  a  shabby  action.  He  was  pal- 
pably looking  for  something.  He  made  a  gesture 
of  disappointment  when  he  saw  that  the  table  where 
he  had  dined  was  now  stripped  of  everything  ex- 
cept the  flowers.  He  did  not  seem  to  see  the  other 
two  men  there  at  all.  Venner  took  the  box  from  his 
companion's  hand,  and  advanced  to  Fenwick's  side. 

"I  think  you  have  lost  something,  sir,"  he  said 
coolly.     "Permit  me  to  restore  your  property  to 

you." 

The  millionaire  gave  a  kind  of  howl  as  he  looked 
at  Venner.  The  noise  he  made  was  like  that  of  a 
child  suffering  from  toothache.  He  fairly  grovelled 
at  Venner's  feet,  but  as  far  as  the  latter's  expres- 
sion was  concerned,  the  two  might  have  met  for  the 
first  time.  Just  for  a  moment  Fenwick  stood  there, 
mopping  his  yellow  face,  himself  a  picture  of  abject 
misery  and  despair. 

"Well.?"  Venner  said  sharply.  "Is  this  little 
box  yours,  or  not }  " 

[32] 


THE   LOST   MINE 

"Oh,  yes,  oh  yes,"  Fenwick  whined.  "You 
know  that  perfectly  well — I  mean,  you  must  recog- 
nise— oh,  I  don't  know  what  I  mean.  The  fact  is, 
I  am  really  ill  to-night.  I  hardly  know  what  I  am 
doing.     Thank  you,  very  much." 

Fenwick  snatched  the  box  from  Venner's  fingers, 
and  made  hastily  for  the  door. 

"  I  believe  we  are  allowed  to  smoke  in  here  after 
ten,"  Gurdon  said.  "If  that  is  the  case,  why  not 
have  a  cigar  together,  and  discuss  the  matter.? 
WTiat  I  am  anxious  to  know  at  present  is  the  inner 
meaning  of  the  finger  in  the  box." 

There  was  no  objection  to  a  cigar  in  the  dining- 
room  at  this  late  hour,  and  presently  the  t^o  friends 
were  discussing  their  Havanas  together.  Venner 
began  to  speak  at  length. 

"Perhaps  it  would  be  as  well,"  he  said,  "to  stick 
to  the  box  business  first.  You  will  remember, 
some  three  years  ago,  my  writing  you  to  the  effect 
that  I  was  going  to  undertake  a  journey  through 
Mexico.  I  don't  suppose  I  should  have  gone  there 
at  all,  only  I  was  attracted  by  the  notion  of  possible 
adventures  in  that  country,  among  the  hills  where, 
at  one  time,  gold  was  found.  There  was  no  ques- 
tion whatever  that  gold  in  large  quantities  used  to 
be  mined  in  the  wild  district  where  I  had  chosen  to 
take  up  my  headquarters.  Practical  engineers  say 
that  the  gold  is  exhausted,  but  that  did  not  deter 
me  in  the  least. 

3  [33] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"The  first  man  who  put  the  idea  into  my  head 
was  a  half-caste  Mexican,  who  had  an  extraordinary 
grip  on  the  history  of  his  country,  especially  as  far 
as  legends  and  traditions  were  concerned.     He  was 
a  well-educated  man,  and  an  exceedingly  fascinat- 
ing story-teller.     It  was  he  who  first  gave  me  the 
history  of  what  he  called  the  Four  Finger  Mine.     It 
appears  that  this  mine  had  been  discovered  some 
century  or  more  ago  by  a  Frenchman,  who  had  set- 
tled down  in  the  country  and  married  the  daughter 
of  a  native  chief.     The  original  founder  of  the  mine 
was  a  curious  sort  of  man,  and  was  evidently  pos- 
sessed of  strong  miserly  tendencies.     Most  men  in 
his  position  would  have  gathered  together  a  band 
of  workers,  and  simply  exploited  the  mine  for  all  it 
was   worth.     However,    this    man,    Le    Fenu,    did 
nothing  of  the  kind.     He  kept  his  discovery  an  ab- 
solute secret,  and  what  mining  was  to  be  done,  he 
did  himself.     I  understand  that  he  was  a  man  of 
fine  physique,  and  that  his  disposition  was  abso- 
lutely fearless.     It  was  his  habit  at  certain  seasons 
of  the  year  to  go  up  to  his  mine,  and  there  work  it 
for  a  month  or  two  at  a  time,  spending  the  rest  of 
the  year  with  his  family.     It  is  quite  certain,  too, 
that  he  kept  his  secret,  even  from  his  grown-up 
sons;  for  when  he  died,  they  had  not  the  sUghtest 
idea  of  the  locality  of  the  mine,  which  fact  I  know 
from  Le  Fenu's  descendants. 

"  And  now  comes  the  interesting  part  of  my  story. 
[34] 


THE   LOST   MINE 

Le  Fenu  went  up  into  the  mountains  early  in  May 
one  year,  to  put  in  his  sohtary  two  months'  mining, 
as  usual.  For,  perhaps,  the  first  time  in  his  Hfe,  he 
suffered  from  a  serious  illness — some  kind  of  fever, 
I  suppose,  though  he  had  just  strength  of  will  enough 
to  get  on  the  back  of  a  horse  and  ride  as  far  as 
the  nearest  hacienda. 

"Now,  on  this  particular  farm  there  dwelt  a 
Dutchman,  who,  I  believe,  was  called  Van  Fort. 
Whether  or  not  Le  Fenu  partially  disclosed  his 
secret  in  his  delirium,  will  never  actually  be  known. 
At  any  rate,  two  or  three  weeks  later  the  body  of 
Le  Fenu  was  discovered  not  very  far  away  from  the 
scene  of  his  mining  operations,  and  from  the  evi- 
dence obtainable,  there  was  no  doubt  in  the  world 
that  he  was  foully  murdered.  Justice  in  that  coun- 
try walks  with  very  tardy  footsteps,  and  though 
there  was  little  question  who  the  real  murderer  was. 
Van  Fort  was  never  brought  to  justice.  Perhaps 
that  was  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  he  seemed 
to  be  suddenly  possessed  of  more  money  than  usual, 
and  was  thus  in  a  position  to  bribe  the  authorities. 

"And  now  comes  a  further  development.  Soon* 
after  the  death  of  Le  Fenu,  it  was  noted  that  Van 
Fort  spent  most  of  his  time  away  from  his  farm  in 
the  mountains,  no  doubt  prospecting  for  Le  Fenu's 
mine.  AVhether  he  ever  found  it  or  not  will  never 
be  known.  Please  to  bear  in  mind  the  fact  that  for 
a  couple  of  centuries  at  least  Le  Fenu's  mysterious 
[35] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

property  was  known  as  the  Four  Finger  Mine. 
With  this  digression,  I  will  go  on  to  speak  further  of 
Van  Fort's  movements.  To  make  a  long  story 
short,  from  his  last  journey  to  the  mountains  he 
never  returned.  His  widow  searched  for  him  every- 
where; I  have  seen  her — a  big  sullen  woman,  with 
a  cruel  mouth  and  a  heavy  eye.  From  what  I  have 
heard,  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  it  was  she 
who  inspired  the  murder  of  the  Frenchman. 

"She  had  practically  given  up  all  hope  of  ever 
seeing  her  husband  again,  when,  one  dark  and 
stormy  night,  just  as  she  was  preparing  for  bed,  she 
heard  her  husband  outside,  screaming  for  assistance. 
From  his  tone,  he  was  evidently  in  some  dire  and 
deadly  peril.  The  woman  was  by  no  means  devoid 
of  courage;  she  rushed  out  into  the  night  and 
searched  far  and  near,  but  no  trace  of  Van  Fort 
could  be  found,  nor  did  the  imploring  cry  for  assis- 
tance come  again.  But  the  next  morning,  on  the 
doorstep  lay  a  bleeding  forefinger,  which  the  woman 
recognised  as  coming  from  her  husband's  hand. 
To  make  identity  absolutely  certain,  on  the  fore- 
finger was  a  ring  of  native  gold,  which  the  Dutch- 
man always  wore.  Please  to  remember  once  more 
that  this  mine  was  known  as  the  Four  Finger  Mine.'* 

Venner  paused  just  for  a  moment  to  give  dramatic 
effect  to  his  point.  Gurdon  said  nothing;  he  was 
too  deeply  interested  in  the  narrative  to  make  any 
comment. 

[36] 


THE   LOST  MINE 

"That  was  what  I  may  call  the  first  act  in  the 
drama,"  Venner  went  on.  "  Six  months  had  elapsed, 
and  Van  Fort's  widow  was  beginning  to  forget  all 
about  the  startling  incident,  when,  one  night,  just 
at  the  same  time,  and  in  just  the  same  circumstances, 
came  that  wild,  pitiful  yell  for  assistance  outside  the 
Dutchman's  farm.  Half  mad  with  dread  and  terror 
the  woman  sat  there  listening.  She  did  not  dare  to 
go  outside  now;  she  knew  how  futile  such  an  act 
would  be.  Also,  she  knew  quite  well  what  was  go- 
ing to  happen  in  the  morning.  She  sat  up  half  the 
night  in  a  state  bordering  on  madness.  I  need  not 
insult  your  intelligence,  my  dear  fellow,  by  asking 
you  to  guess  what  she  found  on  the  doorstep  in  the 
daylight." 

"Of  course,  I  can  guess,"  Gurdon  said.  "Be- 
yond all  question,  it  was  the  third  finger  of  the 
Dutchman's  hand." 

"Quite  so,"  Venner  resumed.  "I  need  not  over 
elaborate  my  story  or  bore  you  by  telling  how,  six 
months  later,  the  second  finger  of  the  hand  appeared 
in  the  same  sensational  circumstances,  and  how,  at 
the  end  of  a  year,  the  four  fingers  w^ere  complete. 
Let  me  once  more  impress  upon  you  the  fact  that 
this  mine  was  called  the  Four  Finger  Mine  for  more 
than  a  century  before  these  strange  things  hap- 
pened." 

"  It  is  certainly  an  extraordinary  thing,"  Gurdon 
muttered.  "  I  don't  think  I  ever  listened  to  a  weirder 
[37] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

tale.  And  did  the  Dutch  woman  confess  to  her 
crime?  This  strikes  me  as  being  a  fitting  end  to 
the  story.     I  suppose  it  came  from  her  Ups." 

"She  didn't  confess,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
she  had  no  mind  to  confess  with,"  Venner  explained. 
"Of  course,  certain  neighbors  knew  something  of 
what  was  going  on,  but  they  never  knew  the  whole 
truth,  because,  after  the  appearance  of  the  last 
finger,  Mrs.  Van  Fort  went  stark  raving  mad.  She 
lived  for  a  few  days,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  her 
body  was  found  in  a  waterfall  close  to  her  house. 
That  is  the  story  of  the  Four  Finger  Mine  so  far  as 
it  goes,  though  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  we  man- 
age to  get  to  the  last  chapter  yet.  Now,  you  are  an 
observant  man — did  you  notice  anything  peculiar  in 
Fenwick's  appearance  to-night  ? " 

Gurdon  shook  his  head  slowly.  It  was  quite  evi- 
dent that  he  had  not  noticed  anything  out  of  the 
common  in  the  appearance  of  the  millionaire.  Ven- 
ner proceeded  to  explain. 

"  Let  me  tell  you  this,"  he  said.  "  When  I  mar- 
ried my  wife,  we  were  within  an  easy  ride  of  the 
locality  where  the  Four  Finger  Mine  is  situated. 
Mind  you,  our  marriage  was  a  secret  one,  and  I 
presume  that  Fenwick  is  still  in  ignorance  of  it, 
though,  of  course,  he  was  fully  aware  of  the  fact 
that  I  had  more  than  a  passing  admiration  for  Vera. 
I  merely  mention  this  by  way  of  accentuating  the 
little  point  that  I  am  going  to  make.  It  is  more 
[38] 


THE  LOST  MINE 

than  probable  that,  when  I  stumbled  upon  Fen- 
wick  and  the  girl  who  passes  for  his  daughter,  he 
also  was  in  search  of  the  Four  Finger  Mine.  When 
he  came  in  to-night  he,  of  course,  recognised  me, 
though  I  treated  him  as  an  absolute  stranger  whom 
I  had  met  for  the  first  time.  You  will  see  presently 
why  I  treated  him  in  this  fasliion.  I  am  glad  I 
spoke  to  him,  because  I  noticed  a  slight  thing  that 
throws  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  mystery.  Now, 
did  it  escape  your  observation,  or  did  you  notice 
that  Fenwick  took  the  box  I  gave  him  in  his  right 
hand.?" 

"Oh,  dear,  no,"  Gurdon  said.  "A  little  thing 
like  that  would  be  almost  too  trivial  for  the  tj'pical 
detective  of  the  cheap  story." 

"  All  the  same,  it  is  very  important,"  Venner  said. 
"He  took  the  box  in  his  right  hand;  he  made  as  if 
to  extend  his  left,  then  suddenly  changed  his  mind, 
and  put  it  in  his  pocket.  But  he  was  too  late  to 
disguise  from  me  that  he  had " 

"I  know,"  Gurdon  shouted.  "He  had  lost  all 
the  fingers  on  his  left  hand.  What  an  amazing 
thing !  We  must  get  to  the  bottom  of  this  business 
at  all  costs." 

"That  is  precisely  what  we  are  going  to  do," 
Venner  said  grimly.  "I  am  glad  you  are  so  quick 
in  taking  up  the  point.  When  I  noted  the  loss  of 
those  fingers,  I  was  absolutely  staggered  for  a  mo- 
ment. K  he  had  been  less  agitated  than  he  was, 
[39] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Fenwick  would  have  guessed  what  I  had  seen.  I 
need  not  tell  you  that  when  I  last  saw  Fenwick  his 
left  hand  was  as  sound  as  yours  or  mine.  The  in- 
ference of  this  is,  that  Fenwick  has  fallen  under  the 
ban  of  the  same  strange  vengeance  that  overtook 
Van  Fort  and  his  wife.  There  is  not  the  slightest 
doubt  that  he  discovered  the  mine,  and  that  he  has 
not  yet  paid  the  penalty  for  his  temerity." 

"I  presume  the  penalty  is  coming,"  Gurdon  said. 
"What  a  creepy  sort  of  idea  it  is,  that  terrible  ven- 
geance reaching  across  a  continent  in  such  a  sinister 
fashion.  But  don't  forget  that  we  know  something 
as  to  the  way  in  wliich  this  thing  is  to  be  brought 
about.  Don't  forget  the  cripple  who  sat  at  yonder 
table  to-night." 

"  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  him,"  Venner  observed. 
'''All  the  more  because  he  evidently  knows  more 
about  this  matter  than  we  do  ourselves.  When  he 
came  here  to-night,  he  little  dreamed  that  there  was 
one  man  in  the  room,  at  least,  who  had  a  fairly  good 
knowledge  of  the  Four  Finger  INIystery.  We  shall 
have  to  look  him  out,  and,  if  necessary,  force  him 
to  speak.  But  it  is  a  delicate  matter,  and  as  far  as 
I  can  see,  one  not  unattended  with  danger." 

Gurdon  smoked  in  thoughtful  silence  for  some 
little  time,  turning  the  strange  thing  over  in  his 
mind.  The  more  he  dwelt  upon  it,  the  more  wild 
and  dramatic  did  it  seem. 

"  There  is  one  thing  in  our  favor,"  he  said,  pres- 
[  40  ] 


THE   LOST  MINE 

ently.  "The  mysterious  cripple  is  evidently  a 
deadly  enemy  of  Fenwick's.  We  shall  doubtless 
find  him  ready  to  accept  our  offer,  provided  that  we 
put  it  in  the  right  way." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  Venner  replied.  "  At 
any  rate,  we  can  make  no  move  in  that  direction 
without  thinking  the  whole  thing  out  carefully  and 
thoroughly.  Our  crippled  friend  is  evidently  a 
fanatic  in  his  way,  and  he  is  not  alone  in  his  scheme. 
Do  not  forget  that  we  have  also  the  little  man  who 
played  the  part  of  the  waiter  to  deal  with.  I  am 
sorry  that  I  did  not  notice  him.  A  man  who  could 
carry  off  a  thing  like  that  with  such  splendid  auda- 
city is  certainly  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with." 

Gurdon  rose  from  his  seat  with  a  yawn,  and  in- 
timated that  it  was  time  to  go  to  bed.  It  was  long 
past  twelve  now  and  the  hotel  was  gradually  retir- 
ing to  rest.  The  Grand  Empire  was  not  the  sort 
of  house  to  cater  to  the  frivolous  type  of  guest,  and 
usually  within  an  hour  of  the  closing  of  the  theatres 
the  whole  of  the  vast  building  was  wrapped  in  silence. 

"  I  think  I  will  go  now,"  Gurdon  said.  "  Come 
and  lunch  with  me  to-morrow,  and  then  you  can 
tell  me  something  about  your  own  romance.  What 
sort  of  a  night  is  it,  waiter  ^  " 

"Very  bad,  sir,"  the  waiter  replied.  "It's  pour- 
ing in  torrents.     Shall  I  call  you  a  cab,  sir  ?  " 


[41] 


CHAPTER  IV 

In  The  Lift 

GuRDON  looked  out  from  the  shelter  of  the  great 
portico  to  see  the  sheets  of  rain  falling  on  the  pave- 
ment. Silence  reigned  supreme  but  for  the  steady 
plash  of  the  raindrops  as  they  rattled  on  the  pave- 
ments. To  walk  half  a  mile  on  such  a  night  meant 
getting  wet  through;  and  Gurdon  somewhat  rue- 
fully regarded  his  thin  slippers  and  his  light  dust 
overcoat.  Half  a  dozen  times  the  night  porter  blew 
his  whistle,  but  no  sign  of  a  cab  could  be  seen. 

"We  sha'n't  get  one  to-night,"  Venner  said. 
"They  are  all  engaged.  There  is  only  one  thing 
for  it — 3^ou  must  take  a  room  here,  and  stay  till  the 
morning.  I've  no  doubt  I  can  fit  you  up  in  the  way 
of  pyjamas  and  the  things  necessary." 

Gurdon  fell  in  readily  enough  with  the  suggestion. 
Indeed,  there  was  nothing  else  for  it.  He  took  his 
number  and  key  from  the  sleepy  clerk  in  the  office, 
and  made  his  way  upstairs  to  Venner's  bedroom. 

"  I'll  just  have  one  cigarette  before  I  turn  in,"  he 
said.  "  It  seems  as  if  Fate  had  ordained  that  I  am 
to  keep  in  close  touch  with  the  leading  characters 
[42] 


IN  THE  LIFT 

of  the  mystery.  By  the  way,  we  never  took  the 
trouble  to  find  out  who  the  handsome  cripple  was.", 

"That  is  very  easily  done  in  the  morning,"  Ven- 
ner  replied.  "  A  striking  personality  hke  that  is  not 
soon  lost  sight  of.  Besides,  he  has  doubtless  been 
here  before,  for,  if  you  will  recollect,  his  attendants 
took  him  to  the  right  table  as  if  it  had  been  ordered 
beforehand.  And  now,  if  you  don't  mind,  I'll  turn 
in — not  that  I  expect  to  sleep  much  after  an  excit- 
ing evening  Uke  this.     Good  night,  old  fellow." 

Gurdon  v.ent  on  to  his  own  room,  where  he  slowly 
undressed  and  sat  thinking  the  whole  thing  out  on 
the  edge  of  his  bed.  Perhaps  he  was  suffering  from 
the  same  suppressed  excitement  which  at  that  mo- 
ment was  keeping  Venner  awake,  for  he  felt  not  the 
slightest  disposition  to  turn  in.  Usually  he  was  a 
sound  sleeper;  but  this  night  seemed  likely  to  prove 
an  exception  to  the  rule. 

An  hour  passed,  and  Gurdon  was  still  sitting 
there,  asking  himself  whether  it  would  not  be  better 
to  go  to  bed  and  compel  sleep  to  come  to  him.  Im- 
patiently he  turned  out  his  light  and  laid  his  head 
resolutely  on  the  pillow. 

But  it  was  all  in  vain — sleep  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. The  room  was  not  altogether  in  darkness, 
either;  for  the  sleeping  apartments  on  that  landing 
had  been  arranged  back  to  back  with  a  large,  open 
ventilator  between  them.  Through  this  ventilator 
came  a  stream  of  light;  evidently  the  occupant  of 
[43] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

the  adjoining  room  had  not  yet  retired.  The  hght 
worried  Gurdon;  he  asked  himself  irritably  why  his 
neighbor  should  be  permitted  to  annoy  him  in  this 
way.  A  moment  or  two  later  the  sound  of  sup- 
pressed voices  came  through  the  ventilator,  followed 
by  the  noise  of  a  heavy  fall. 

At  any  ordinary  time  Gurdon  would  have  thought 
nothing  of  this,  but  his  imagination  was  aflame  now, 
and  his  mind  was  full  of  hidden  mysteries.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  something  sinister  and  under- 
hand was  going  on  in  the  next  room. 

Usually,  no  one  would  identify  the  Grand  Em- 
pire Hotel  with  crime  and  intrigue ;  but  that  did  not 
deter  Gurdon  from  rising  from  his  bed  and  making 
a  determined  effort  to  see  through  the  ventilator 
into  the  adjoining  room.  It  was  not  an  easy  mat- 
ter, but  by  dint  of  balancing  two  chairs  one  on  top 
of  the  other  the  thing  was  accomplished.  Very 
cautiously  Gurdon  pushed  back  the  glass  slide  and 
looked  through.  So  far  as  he  could  see,  there  was 
nothing  to  justify  any  suspicion.  The  room  was 
absolutely  empty,  though  it  was  brilliantly  lighted ; 
and  for  a  moment  Gurdon  felt  ashamed  of  his  sus- 
picions, and  turned  away,  half  determined  to  try 
and  sleep.  It  was  at  that  instant  that  he  noticed 
something  out  of  the  common.  To  his  quickened 
ear  there  came  a  sound  unmistakably  hke  a  snore, 
and  pushing  his  body  half  througli  the  ventilator  he 
managed  to  make  out  the  bed  in  the  next  room. 
[44] 


IN  THE   LIFT 

On  it  lay  the  body  of  a  boy  in  uniform,  unmistak- 
ably a  messenger  boy  or  hotel  attendant  of  that 
kind.  Gurdon  could  see  the  hotel  name  embroi- 
dered in  gold  letters  on  his  collar. 

Perhaps  there  was  nothing  so  very  suspicious  in 
this,  except  that  the  boy  was  lying  on  the  bed  fully 
dressed,  even  to  his  boots.  It  was  a  luxurious  room ; 
not  at  all  the  class  of  apartment  to  which  the  hotel 
management  would  relegate  one  of  their  messenger 
boys,  nor  was  it  possible  that  the  lad  had  had  the 
temerity  to  go  into  the  vacant  room  and  sleep. 

"Something  wrong  here,"  Gurdon  muttered. 
"  Hang  me  if  I  don't  get  through  the  ventilator  and 
see  what  it  is." 

It  was  no  difficult  matter  for  an  athlete  like  Gur- 
don to  push  his  way  through  and  drop  on  to  the 
bed  on  the  other  side.  Then  he  shook  the  form  of 
the  slumbering  lad  without  reward.  The  boy 
seemed  to  be  plunged  in  a  sleep  almost  Hke  death. 
As  Gurdon  turned  him  over,  he  noticed  on  the 
other  side  of  the  lad's  collar  the  single  word  "Lift." 
It  began  to  dawn  upon  Gurdon  exactly  what  had 
happened.  In  large  hotels  like  the  Grand  Empire 
there  is  no  fixed  period  when  the  lift  is  suspended, 
and  consequently,  it  has  its  attendants  night  and 
day.  For  some  reason,  this  boy  had  evidently  been 
drugged  and  carried  into  the  room  where  he  now  lay. 
There  was  no  doubt  whatever  about  it,  for  it  was 
impossible  to  shake  the  lad  into  the  shghtest  sem- 
[45] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

blance  of  life.  Gurdon  crossed  to  the  door,  and 
found,  not  to  his  surprise,  that  it  was  locked.  His 
first  impulse  was  to  return  to  his  room  and  call  the 
night  porter;  but  a  strange,  wild  idea  had  come 
into  his  mind,  and  he  refrained  from  doing  so.  It 
occurred  to  him  that  perhaps  INIark  Fenwick  or  the 
cripple  had  had  a  hand  in  this  outrage. 

"I'll  wait  a  bit,"  Gurdon  told  himself.  "It  is 
just  possible  that  my  key  will  fit  this  door.  Any- 
way, it  is  worth  trying." 

Gurdon  made  his  way  back  to  his  own  room 
again,  to  return  a  minute  or  two  later  with  his  key. 
To  his  great  delight  the  door  opened,  and  he  stood 
in  a  further  corridor,  close  against  the  cage  in  which 
the  lift  worked  noiselessly  up  and  down. 

It  was  absolutely  quiet,  so  that  anybody  stand- 
ing there  would  have  been  able  to  carry  out  any  op- 
eration of  an  unlawful  kind  without  observation. 
Gurdon  stood,  looking  down  the  lift  shaft,  until  he 
saw  that  the  cage  was  once  more  beginning  to  as- 
cend. It  came  up  slowly  and  smoothly  and  with- 
out the  least  noise,  until  it  was  level  with  the  floor 
on  which  Gurdon  was  standing.  It  was  one  of  the 
open  kind,  so  he  could  see  inside  quite  clearly.  To 
all  practical  purposes,  the  lift  was  empty,  save  for 
the  presence  of  one  man,  who  lay  vmconscious  on 
the  floor.  The  cage  was  ascending  so  leisurely  that 
Gurdon  was  in  a  position  to  make  a  close  examina- 
tion of  the  figure  before  the  whole  structure  had 
[46] 


IN  THE   LIFT 

risen  to  the  next  floor.  It  did  not  need  a  second 
glance  to  tell  Gurdon  that  the  man  in  the  cage  was 
the  attendant,  and  that  he  was  suffering  from  the 
same  drug  which  had  placed  his  boy  assistant  be- 
yond all  power  of  interfering. 

"Now  what  does  all  this  mean?"  Gurdon  mut- 
tered. "  Who  is  there  on  the  floor  above  who  is  in- 
terested in  getting  these  two  people  out  of  the  way  ? 
What  do  they  want  to  bring  up  or  send  down  which 
it  is  not  safe  to  dispose  of  by  the  ordinary  means? 
I  think  I'll  wait  and  see.     No  sleep  for  me  to-night." 

The  lift  vanished  in  the  same  silent  way.  It  hung 
overhead  for  some  httle  time,  and  once  more  ap- 
peared in  sight,  this  time  absolutely  empty,  save  for 
a  small  square  box  with  iron  bands  at  the  corners, 
which  lay  upon  the  floor.  As  the  cage  descended, 
Gurdon  suddenly  made  up  his  mind  what  to  do. 
He  sprang  lightly  on  to  the  top  of  the  falling  cage, 
and  grasped  the  rope  with  both  hands.  A  moment 
later  and  he  was  descending  in  the  darkness. 

As  far  as  he  could  judge,  the  lift  went  down  to 
the  basement,  where,  for  the  time  being,  it  remained. 
There  was  a  warm  damp  smell  in  the  air,  suggestive 
of  fungus,  whereby  Gurdon  judged  that  he  must  be 
in  the  vaults  beneath  the  hotel.  As  his  eyes  be- 
came accustomed  to  the  gloom,  he  could  make  out 
just  in  front  of  him  a  circular  patch  of  hght,  which 
evidently  was  a  coal  shoot. 

He  had  no  need  to  wait  now  for  the  full  develop- 
[47] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

ment  of  the  adventure.  He  could  hear  whispered 
voices  and  the  clang  of  metal,  as  if  somebody  had 
opened  the  door  of  the  lift.  One  of  the  voices  he 
failed  to  understand,  but  with  a  thrill  he  recognised 
the  fact  that  the  speaker  was  talking  in  either  Span- 
ish or  Portuguese.  Instantly  it  flashed  into  his 
mind  that  this  was  the  language  most  famihar  to 
the  man  who  called  himself  Mark  Fenwick.  Be- 
yond doubt  he  was  quite  right  when  he  identified 
this  last  development  with  the  actors  in  the  dramatic 
events  earlier  in  the  evening. 

"Now  don't  be  long  about  it,"  a  hoarse  voice 
whispered.  "There  are  two  more  cases  to  send  up, 
and  two  more  to  come  down  here.  Has  that  van 
come  along,  or  shall  we  have  to  wait  until  morning  ?  " 

"The  van  is  there  right  enough,"  another  hoarse 
voice  said.  "We  have  the  stuff  out  on  the  pave- 
ment. Let's  have  the  last  lot  here,  and  get  it  up  at 
once." 

Gurdon  could  hear  the  sound  of  labored  breath- 
ing as  if  the  unseen  man  was  struggling  with  some 
heavy  burden.  Presently  some  square  object  was 
deposited  on  the  floor  of  the  lift.  It  seemed  to  slip 
from  someone's  hands,  and  dropped  with  a  heavy 
thud  that  caused  the  lift  to  vibrate  Uke  a  thing  of 
life." 

"  Clumsy  fool,"  a  voice  muttered.  "  You  might 
have  dropped  that  on  my  foot.  What  did  you  want 
"to  let  go  for?" 

[48] 


IN  THE   LIFT 

"I  couldn't  help  it,"  another  voice  grumbled. 
*'  I  didn't  know  it  was  half  so  heavy.  Besides,  the 
rope  broke." 

"  Oh,  are  you  going  to  be  there  all  night  ?  " — an- 
other voice,  with  a  suggestion  of  a  foreign  accent  in 
it,  asked  impatiently.  "Don't  forget  you  have  to 
bring  the  man  down  yet,  and  see  that  the  boy  is 
taken  to  his  place.     Now,  up  with  it." 

Standing  there,  holding  on  to  the  rope  and  quiver- 
ing with  excitement,  Gurdon  wondered  what  was 
going  to  happen  next.  Once  more  he  felt  himself 
rising,  and  an  instant  later  he  was  in  the  light  again. 
He  waited  till  the  lift  had  reached  his  own  floor; 
then  he  jumped  quickly  down,  taking  care  as  he 
went  to  note  the  heavy  box  which  lay  on  the  floor 
of  the  lift.  A  corner  of  it  had  been  split  open  by 
the  hea\'y  jar,  and  some  shining  material  like  sand 
lay  in  a  little  heap,  ghttering  in  the  rays  of  the  elec- 
tric light. 

Gurdon  stood  there  panting  for  a  moment,  and 
rather  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do  next.  Once 
more  the  lift  came  down,  this  time  with  two  boxes 
of  a  smaller  size.  They  vanished;  and  as  the  lift 
rose  once  again,  Gurdon  had  barely  time  to  hide 
himself  behind  the  bedroom  door,  and  thus  escape 
the  observation  of  two  men  who  now  occupied  the 
cage.  He  just  caught  a  fleeting  glimpse  of  them, 
and  saw  that  one  was  an  absolute  stranger,  but  he 
felt  his  heart  beating  slightly  faster  as  he  recog- 
4  [49] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

nised  in  the  other  the  now  famihar  form  of  Mark 
Fenwick.  The  mystery  was  beginning  to  unfold 
itself. 

"That  was  a  close  thing,"  Gurdon  muttered,  as 
he  wiped  his  hot  face.  "I  think  I  had  better  go 
back  to  my  own  room,  and  wait  developments.  One 
can't  be  too  careful." 

The  lift-boy  was  still  sleeping  on  the  bed ;  but  his 
features  were  twitching,  as  if  already  the  drug  was 
beginning  to  lose  its  effect.  At  least,  so  Gurdon 
shrewdly  thought,  and  subsequent  events  proved 
that  he  was  not  far  wrong.  He  was  standing  in  his 
own  room  now,  waiting  by  the  ventilator,  when  he 
heard  the  sound  of  footsteps  on  the  other  side  of  the 
wall.  Two  men  had  entered  the  room,  and  by  tak- 
ing a  little  risk,  Gurdon  could  see  that  they  were 
examining  the  unconscious  boy  coolly  and  critically. 

"I  should  think  about  five  minutes  more  would 
do  it,"  one  of  them  said.  "Better  carry  him  out, 
and  shove  him  in  that  little  sentry  box  of  his.  When 
he  comes  to  himself  again  he  won't  know  but  what 
he  has  fallen  asleep;  barring  a  headache,  the  little 
beggar  won't  be  any  the  worse  for  the  adventure." 

"  Have  we  got  all  the  stuff  up  now  ? "  the  other 
man  asked. 

"Every  bit  of  it,"  was  the  whispered  reply.     "I 

hope  the  old  man  is  satisfied  now.     It  was  not  a 

bad  idea  of  his  to  work  this  little  game  in  a  great 

hotel  of  this  kind.     But,  all  the  same,  it  is  not  with- 

[50] 


IN  THE   LIFT 

out  risks,  and  I  for  one  should  be  glad  to  get  away 
to  that  place  in  the  country  where  we  are  going  in 
a  week  or  two." 

Gurdon  heard  no  more.  He  allowed  the  best 
part  of  haK-an-hour  to  pass  before  he  ventured  once 
more  to  creep  through  the  ventilator  and  reach  the 
landing  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  lift.  Everytliing 
looked  quite  normal  now,  and  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.  The  lift  boy  sat  in  his  little  hut,  yawn- 
ing and  stretching  himself.  It  was  quite  evident 
that  he  knew  nothing  of  the  vile  uses  he  had  been 
put  to.     A  sudden  idea  occurred  to  Gurdon. 

**  I  want  you  to  bring  the  lift  up  to  this  floor,"  he 
said  to  the  boy.  "No,  I  don't  want  to  use  it;  I 
have  lost  something,  and  it  occurs  to  me  that  I 
might  have  left  it  in  the  lift." 

In  the  usual  unconcerned  manner  of  his  class  the 
boy  touched  an  electric  button,  and  the  lift  slowly 
rose  from  the  basement. 

"Does  this  go  right  down  to  the  cellars.''"  Gur- 
don asked. 

"  It  can  if  it's  wanted  to,"  the  boy  replied.  "  Only 
it  very  seldom  does.  You  see,  we  only  use  this  lift 
for  our  customers.  It's  fitted  with  what  they  call  a 
pneumatic  cushion — I  mean,  if  anjihing  goes  WTong, 
the  lift  falls  into  a  funnel  shaped  well,  made  of  con- 
crete, which  forms  a  cushion  of  air,  and  so  breaks 
the  fall.  They  say  you  could  cut  the  rope  and  let 
it  down  without  so  much  as  upsetting  a  glass  of 
[51] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

water.     Not  that  I  should  like  to  try  it,  sir,  but 
there  you  are." 

Gurdon  entered  the  lift,  where  he  pretended  to  be 
searching  for  something  for  a  moment  or  two.  In 
reality,  he  was  scraping  up  some  of  the  yellow  sand 
which  had  fallen  from  the  box  to  the  floor  of  the 
lift,  and  this  he  proceeded  to  place  in  a  scrap  of 
paper.  Then  he  decided  that  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  retire  to  bed,  though  he  was  still  in  full 
possession  of  liis  waking  faculties.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  he  was  asleep  almost  as  soon  as  his  head 
touched  the  pillow.  Nevertheless,  he  was  up  early 
the  following  morning,  and  in  Venner's  bedroom 
long  before  breakfast.  He  had  an  exciting  story  to 
tell,  and  he  could  not  complain  that  in  Venner  he 
had  anything  but  an  interested  listener. 

"  We  are  getting  on,"  the  latter  said  grimly.  "  But 
before  you  say  anything  more,  I  should  like  to  have 
a  look  at  that  yellow  sand  you  speak  of.  Bring  it 
over  near  the  light." 

Venner  let  the  yellow  stuff  trickle  through  his 
hands;  then  he  turned  to  Gurdon  with  a  smile. 

"You  look  upon  this  as  refuse,  I  suppose.'*"  he 
said.  "You  seem  to  imagine  that  it  is  of  no  great 
value." 

"  Well,  is  it  ?  "  Gurdon  asked.     "  What  is  it  ?  " 

"Gold,"  Venner  said  curtly.  "Pure  virgin  gold, 
of  the  very  finest  quality.  I  never  saw  a  better 
sample." 

[52] 


CHAPTER  V 

A  Puzzle  for  Venner 

"Venner  sat  just  for  a  moment  or  two  with  the  thin 
stream  trickling  through  his  fingers,  and  wondering 
■what  it  all  meant.  With  his  superior  knowledge  of 
past  events,  he  could  see  in  this  something  that  it 
was  impossible  for  Gurdon  to  follow. 

"  I  suppose  this  is  some  of  the  gold  from  the  Four 
Finger  Mine?"  Gurdon  suggested.  "Do  you 
know,  I  have  never  handled  any  virgin  gold  before. 
I  had  an  idea  that  it  was  more  briUiant  and  ghtter- 
ing.     Is  this  very  good  stuff  ?  " 

"Absolutely  pure,  I  should  say,"  Venner  repHed. 
"There  are  two  ways  of  gold  mining.  One  is  by 
crushing  quartz  in  machinery,  as  they  do  in  South 
Africa,  and  the  other  is  by  obtaining  the  metal  in 
what  are  called  pockets  or  placers.  This  is  the  way 
in  which  it  is  generally  found  in  Australia  and  Mex- 
ico. I  should  not  be  in  the  least  surprised  if  this 
came  from  the  Four  Finger  Mine." 

"There  is  no  reason  why  it  shouldn't,"  Gurdon 
said.  "  It  is  pretty  evident,  from  what  you  told  me 
last  night,  that  Mark  Fenwick  has  discovered  the 
mysterious  treasure  house,  but  that  does  not  account 
for  all  these  proceedings.  Why  should  he  have 
[53] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

taken  all  the  trouble  he  did  last  night,  when  he 
might  just  as  well  have  brought  the  stuff  in,  and 
taken  the  other  boxes  out  by  the  front  door  ? " 

"That  is  what  we  have  to  find  out,"  Venner  said. 
"That  fellow  may  call  himself  a  millionaire,  but  I 
believe  he  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  desperate 
adventurer." 

Gurdon  nodded  his  assent.  There  must  have 
been  something  very  urgent  to  compel  Mark  Fen- 
wick  to  adopt  such  methods.  Why  was  he  so 
strangely  anxious  to  conceal  the  knowledge  that  he 
was  receiving  boxes  of  pure  gold  in  the  hotel,  and 
that  he  was  sending  out  something  of  equal  value  ? 
However  carefully  the  thing  might  have  been  planned 
the  drugging  of  lift  attendants  must  have  been  at- 
tended with  considerable  risk.  And  the  slightest 
accident  would  have  brought  about  a  revelation. 
As  it  was,  everything  seemed  to  have  passed  off 
smoothly,  except  for  the  chance  by  which  Gurdon 
had  stumbled  on  the  mystery. 

"We  can't  leave  the  thing  here,"  the  latter  said. 
"For  once  in  my  life  I  am  going  to  turn  amateur 
detective.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  get  into 
Fenwick's  suite  of  rooms  and  see  what  is  going  on 
there.  Of  course,  the  thing  will  take  time,  and 
will  have  to  be  carefully  planned.  Do  you  think 
it  is  possible  for  us  to  make  use  of  your  wife  in  this 
matter  ? " 

"I  don't  think  so,"  Venner  said  thoughtfully. 
[54] 


A  PUZZLE  FOR  VENNER 

"  In  the  first  place,  I  don't  much  like  the  idea ;  and 
in  the  second,  I  am  entirely  at  a  loss  to  know  what 
mysterious  hold  Mark  Fenwick  has  on  Vera.  As  I 
told  you  last  night,  she  left  me  within  a  very  short 
time  of  our  marriage,  and  until  a  few  hours  ago  I 
had  never  looked  upon  her  again.  Something  ter- 
rible must  have  happened,  or  she  would  never  have 
deserted  me  in  the  way  she  did.  I  don't  for  a  mo- 
ment believe  that  Mark  Fenwick  knew  anything 
about  our  marriage,  but  on  that  point  I  cannot  be 
absolutely  certain.  You  had  better  come  back  to 
me  later  in  the  day,  and  I  will  see  what  I  can  do. 
It  is  just  possible  that  good  fortune  may  be  on  my 
side." 

The  afternoon  was  dragging  on,  and  still  Yenner 
was  no  nearer  to  a  practical  scheme  which  would 
enable  him  to  make  an  examination  of  Fenwick's 
rooms  without  the  chance  of  discovery.  He  was 
lounging  in  the  hall,  smoking  innumerable  cigar- 
ettes, when  Fenwick  himself  came  down  the  stairs. 
Obviously  the  man  was  going  on  a  journey,  for  he 
was  closely  muffled  up  in  a  big  fur  coat,  and  behind 
him  came  a  servant,  carrying  two  bags  and  a  rail- 
way rug.  It  was  a  little  gloomy  in  the  lobby,  so 
Yenner  was  enabled  to  watch  what  was  going  on 
without  being  seen  himself.  He  did  not  fail  to  note 
a  certain  strained  anxiety  that  rested  on  Fenwick's 
face.  The  man  looked  behind  him  once  or  twice, 
as  if  half  afraid  of  being  followed.  Yenner  had  seen 
[55] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

that  same  furtive  air  in  men  who  are  wanted  by  the 
police.  Fenwick  stopped  at  the  office  and  handed 
a  couple  of  keys  to  the  clerk.  His  instructions  were 
quite  audible  to  Venner. 

"  I  sha'n't  want  those  for  a  day  or  two,"  he  said. 
"You  will  see  that  no  one  has  them  under  any  pre- 
text. Probably,  I  shall  be  back  by  Saturday  at  the 
latest." 

Venner  did  not  scruple  to  follow  Fenwick's  dis- 
appearing figure  as  far  as  the  street.  He  was  anx- 
ious to  obtain  a  clue  to  Fenwick's  destination. 
Straining  his  ears,  he  just  managed  to  catch  the 
words  "Charing  Cross,"  and  then  returned  to  the 
hall,  by  no  means  dissatisfied.  Obviously,  Fen- 
wdck  was  intending  to  cross  the  Channel  for  a  day 
or  two,  and  he  had  said  to  the  clerk  that  he  would 
not  be  back  before  Saturday. 

Here  was  something  like  a  chance  at  last.  Very 
slowly  and  thoughtfully,  Venner  went  up  the  stairs 
in  the  direction  of  his  own  room.  He  had  ascer- 
tained by  this  time  that  one  part  of  Fenwick's  suite 
was  immediately  over  his  own  bedroom.  His  idea 
now  was  to  walk  up  to  the  next  floor,  and  make  a 
close  examination  of  the  rooms  there.  It  did  not 
take  him  long  to  discover  the  fact  that  Fenwick's 
suite  was  self  contained,  like  a  flat.  That  is  to  say, 
a  strong  outer  door  once  locked  made  communica- 
tion with  the  suite  of  rooms  impossible.  Venner 
was  still  pondering  over  his  problem  when  the  mas- 
[56] 


A  PUZZLE   FOR  VENNER 

ter  door  opened,  and  Vera  came  out  so  hurriedly  as 
almost  to  fall  into  Venner's  arms.  She  turned  pale 
as  she  saw  him;  and  as  she  closed  the  big  door 
hurriedly  behind  her,  Venner  could  see  that  she  had 
in  her  hand  the  tiny  Yale  key  which  gave  entrance 
to  the  suite  of  rooms.  The  girl  looked  distressed 
and  embarrassed,  but  not  much  more  so  than  Ven- 
ner, who  was  feeling  not  a  little  guilty. 

But  all  this  was  lost  upon  Vera;  her  own  agita- 
tion and  her  own  unhappiness  seemed  to  have 
blinded  her  to  everything  else. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  she  stammered. 

"Perhaps  I  am  looking  for  you,"  Venner  said. 
He  had  quite  recovered  himself  by  this  time.  "I 
was  in  the  lobby  just  now,  when  I  saw  that  scoun- 
drel, Fenmck,  go  out.  He  is  not  coming  back  for 
a  day  or  tw^o,  I  understand." 

"No,"  Vera  said  with  accents  of  evident  relief. 
"He  is  gone,  but  I  don't  know  where  he  is  gone. 
He  never  tells  me." 

Just  for  a  moment  Venner  looked  somewhat 
sternly  at  liis  companion.  Here  was  an  opportun- 
ity for  an  explanation  too  good  to  be  lost. 

"There  is  a  little  alcove  at  the  end  of  the  corri- 
dor," he  said.  "  I  see  it  is  full  of  ferns  and  flowers. 
In  fact,  the  very  place  for  a  confidence.  Vera, 
whether  you  like  it  or  not,  I  am  going  to  have  an 
explanation." 

The  girl  shrank  back,  and  every  vestige  of  color 
[57] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

faded  from  her  face.  Yet  at  the  same  time,  the 
pleading,  imploring  eyes  which  she  turned  upon  her 
companion's  face  were  filled  with  the  deepest  affec- 
tion. Badly  as  he  had  been  treated,  Yenner  could 
not  doubt  for  a  moment  the  sincerity  of  the  woman 
who  had  become  his  wife.  But  he  did  not  fail  to 
realise  that  few  men  would  have  put  up  with  con- 
duct hke  this,  however  much  in  love  they  might 
have  been.  Therefore,  the  hand  that  he  laid  on 
Vera's  arm  was  strong  and  firm,  and  she  made  no 
resistance  as  he  led  her  in  the  direction  of  the  little 
alcove. 

"  Now,"  he  said.  '*  Are  you  going  to  tell  me  why 
you  left  me  so  mysteriously  on  our  wedding  day? 
You  merely  went  to  change  your  dress,  and  you 
never  returned.  Am  I  to  understand  that  at  the 
very  last  moment  you  learned  something  that  made 
it  absolutely  necessary  for  us  to  part.^  Do  you 
really  mean  that.'*" 

"Indeed,  I  do,  Gerald,"  the  girl  said.  "There 
"was  a  letter  waiting  for  me  in  my  bedroom.  It  was 
a  short  letter,  but  long  enough  to  wreck  my  happi- 
ness for  all  time." 

"No,  no,"  Venner  cried;  "not  for  all  time.  You 
asked  me  to  trust  you  absolutely  and  implicitly,  and 
I  have  done  so.  I  believe  every  word  that  you  say, 
and  I  am  prepared  to  wait  patiently  enough  till  the 
good  time  comes.  But  I  am  not  going  to  sit  down 
quietly  like  tliis  and  see  a  pure  life  like  yours  v.recked 
[58] 


A   PUZZLE   FOR  VENNER 

for  the  sake  of  such  a  scoundrel  as  Fenwick.     Surely 
it  is  not  for  his  sake  that  you " 

"Oh,  no,"  the  girl  cried.  "My  sacrifice  is  not 
for  his  sake  at  all,  but  for  that  of  another  whose 
life  is  bound  up  with  his  in  the  strangest  possible 
way.  When  you  first  met  me,  Gerald,  and  asked 
me  to  be  your  wife,  you  did  not  display  the  faint- 
est curiosity  as  to  my  past  history.     Why  was  that  ?  '* 

"  Why  should  I  ? "  Venner  demanded.  "  I  am 
my  own  master,  I  have  more  money  than  I  know 
"what  to  do  with  and  I  have  practically  no  relations 
to  consider.  You  were  all-sufficient  for  me;  I  loved 
you  for  your  own  sake  alone;  I  cared  nothing,  and 
I  care  nothing  still  for  your  past.  What  I  want  to 
know  is,  how  long  this  is  going  on .'' " 

"  That  I  cannot  tell  you,"  Vera  said  sadly.  "  You 
must  go  on  trusting  me,  dear.     You  must " 

The  speaker  broke  off  suddenly,  as  someone  in 
the  corridor  called  her  name.  She  slipped  away 
from  Venner's  side,  and,  looking  through  the  palms 
and  flowers,  he  could  see  that  she  was  talking  eagerly 
to  a  woman  who  had  the  appearance  of  a  lady's 
maid.  Venner  could  not  fail  to  note  the  calm 
strength  of  the  woman's  face.  It  was  only  for  a 
moment;  then  Vera  came  back  with  a  telegram  in 
her  hand. 

"I  must  go  at  once,"  she  said.  "It  is  something 
of  great  importance.     I  don't  know  when  I  shall 

see  you  again " 

[59] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"I  do,"  Venner  said  grimly.  "You  are  going  to 
dine  with  me  to-night.  Come  just  for  once;  let  us 
imagine  we  are  on  our  honeymoon.  That  black- 
guard Fenwick  is  away,  and  he  will  be  none  the 
wiser.     Now,  I  want  you  to  promise  me." 

"  I  really  can't,"  Vera  protested.  "  If  you  only 
knew  the  danger " 

However,  Venner's  persistency  got  its  own  way. 
A  moment  later  Vera  was  hurrying  down  the  corri- 
dor. It  was  not  until  she  was  out  of  sight  that  Ven- 
ner found  that  she  had  gone  away,  leaving  the  little 
Yale  key  behind  her  on  the  table.  He  thrilled  at 
the  sight  of  it.  Here  was  the  opportunity  for  which 
he  had  been  waiting. 

Not  more  than  ten  minutes  had  elapsed  when, 
thanks  to  the  use  of  the  telephone,  Gurdon  had 
reached  the  Grand  Empire  Hotel.  In  a  few  hur- 
ried words,  Venner  gave  him  a  brief  outline  of  what 
had  happened.     There  was  no  time  to  lose. 

"  Of  course,  it  is  a  risk,"  Venner  said,  "  and  I  am 
not  altogether  sure  that  I  am  justified  in  taking 
advantage  of  this  little  slip  on  the  part  of  my  wife. 
What  do  you  think  ?  " 

"I  think  you  are  talking  a  lot  of  rot,"  Gurdon 
said  emphatically.  "You  love  the  girl,  you  believe 
implicitly  in  her,  and  you  are  desperately  anxious  to 
get  her  out  of  the  hands  of  that  blackguard,  Fen- 
wick. From  some  morbid  idea  of  self  sacrifice, 
your  wife  continues  to  lead  this  life  of  misery  rather 
[60] 


A   PUZZLE   FOR  VENNER 

than  betray  what  she  would  probably  call  a  trust. 
It  seems  to  me  that  you  would  be  more  than  foolish 
to  hesitate  longer." 

"Come  along,  then,"  Venner  said.  "Let's  see 
what  we  can  do." 

The  key  was  in  the  lock  at  length,  and  the  big 
door  thrown  open,  disclosing  a  luxurious  suite  of 
rooms  beyond.  So  far  as  the  explorers  could  see  at 
present,  they  had  the  place  entirely  to  themselves. 
No  doubt  Fenwick's  servants  had  taken  advantage 
of  his  absence  to  make  a  holiday.  For  the  most 
part,  the  rooms  presented  nothing  out  of  the  com- 
mon; they  might  have  been  inhabited  by  anybody 
possessing  large  means.  In  one  of  the  rooms  stood  a 
desk,  carefully  locked,  and  by  its  side  a  fireproof  safe. 

"No  chance  of  getting  into  either  of  those,"  Gur- 
don  said.  "Besides,  the  attempt  would  be  too 
risky.  Don't  you  notice  a  peculiar  noise  going  on  ? 
Sounds  almost  like  machinery." 

Surely  enough,  from  a  distant  apartment  there 
came  a  peculiar  click  and  rumble,  followed  by  a 
whirr  of  wheels,  as  if  someone  was  running  out  a 
small  motor  close  by.  At  the  same  time,  the  two 
friends  noticed  the  unmistakable  odor  of  petrol  on 
the  atmosphere. 

"  What  the  dickens  can  that  be .» "  Gurdon  said.  "  Its 
most  assuredly  in  the  flat,  and  not  far  off,  either." 

"The  only  way  to  find  out  is  to  go  and  see,'* 
Venner  replied.     "  I  fancy  this  is  the  way." 
[61] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

They  came  at  length  to  a  small  room  at  the  end 
of  a  long  corridor.  It  was  evidently  from  this  room 
that  the  sound  of  machinery  came,  for  the  nearer 
they  came  the  louder  it  grew.  The  door  was  slightly- 
ajar,  and  looking  in,  the  friends  could  see  two  men, 
e\idently  engaged  on  some  mechanical  task.  There 
was  a  fire  of  charcoal  in  the  grate,  and  attached  to 
it  a  pair  of  small  but  powerful  bellows,  driven  by  a 
small  motor.  In  the  heart  of  the  fire  was  a  metal 
crucible,  so  white  and  dazzling  hot  that  it  was  al- 
most impossible  for  the  eye  to  look  upon  it.  Venner 
did  not  fail  to  notice  that  the  men  engaged  in  this 
mysterious  occupation  were  masked;  at  least,  they 
wore  exceedingly  large  smoked  spectacles,  which 
came  to  much  the  same  thing.  Behind  them  stood 
another  man,  who  had  every  appearance  of  being  a 
master  workman.  He  had  a  short  pipe  in  his 
mouth,  a  pair  of  slippers  on  his  feet,  and  his  some- 
what expansive  body  was  swathed  in  a  frock  coat. 
Presently  he  made  a  sign,  and  with  the  aid  of  a 
long  pair  of  tongs,  the  white  hot  crucible  was  lifted 
from  the  fire.  It  was  impossible  for  the  two  men 
outside  to  see  what  became  of  it,  but  evidently  the 
foreman  was  satisfied  with  the  experiment,  for  he 
gave  a  grunt  of  approval. 

"I  think  that  will  do,"  he  muttered.  "The  im- 
pression is  excellent.  Now,  you  fellows  can  take  a 
rest  whilst  I  go  off  and  finish  the  other  lot  of  stuff." 

"He's  coming  out,"  Venner  whispered.  "Let 
[62] 


A   PUZZLE   FOR  VENNER 

us  make  a  bolt  for  it.  It  won't  do  to  be  caught 
here." 

They  darted  down  the  corridor  together,  and  stood 
in  an  angle  of  a  doorway,  a  little  undecided  as  to 
what  to  do  next.  The  man  in  the  frock  coat  passed 
them,  carrying  under  one  arm  a  square  case,  that 
bore  some  resemblance  to  the  slide  in  which  pho- 
tographers slip  their  negatives  after  taking  a  photo- 
graph. The  man  in  the  frock  coat  placed  his  bur- 
den on  a  chair,  and  then,  apparently,  hurried  back 
for  something  he  had  forgotten. 

"  Here  is  our  chance,"  Gurdon  whispered.  "  Let's 
see  what  is  in  that  case.  There  may  be  an  impor- 
tant clue  here." 

The  thing  was  done  rapidly  and  neatly.  Inside 
the  case,  between  layers  of  cotton  wool,  lay  a  great 
number  of  gold  coins,  obviously  sovereigns.  They 
appeared  to  be  in  a  fine  state  of  preservation,  for 
they  glistened  in  the  light  like  new  gold. 

"Put  one  in  your  pocket,"   whispered  Venner. 

"  I'm  afraid  we  are  going  to  have  our  journey  for 
our  pains ;  but  still,  you  can't  tell.  Better  take  two 
while  you  are  about  it." 

Gurdon  slipped  the  coins  into  his  pocket,  then 
turned  away  in  the  direction  of  the  door  as  the  man 
in  the  frock  coat  came  back,  thoughtfully  wliistling, 
as  if  to  give  the  intruders  a  chance  of  escape.  Before 
he  appeared  in  sight  the  outer  door  closed  softly,  and 
Venner  and  Gurdon  were  in  the  corridor  once  more. 
[63] 


CHAPTER  VI 

A  Partial  Failure 

*'Do  you  notice  anything  peculiar  about  these 
coins?"  Venner  said,  when  once  more  they  were 
back  in  the  comparative  seclusion  of  the  smoking- 
room.     "  Have  a  good  look  at  them." 

Gurdon  complied;  he  turned  the  coins  over  in 
his  hand  and  weighed  them  on  his  fingers.  So  far 
as  he  could  see  they  were  good,  honest,  British  coins, 
each  well  worth  the  twenty  shiUings  which  they  were 
supposed  to  represent. 

"  I  don't  see  anything  peculiar  about  them  at  all," 
he  said.  "So  far  as  I  can  judge,  they  appear  to  be 
genuine  enough.  At  first  I  began  to  think  that  our 
friend  Fenwick  had  turned  coiner.     Look  at  this." 

As  he  spoke  Gurdon  dashed  the  coin  down  upon 
a  marble  table.     It  rang  true  and  clear. 

"I'd  give  a  pound  for  it,"  he  said.  "The  weight 
in  itseK  is  a  good  test.  No  coiner  yet  has  ever  dis- 
covered a  metal  that  will  weigh  like  gold  and  ring 
as  true.  The  only  strange  thing  about  the  coin  is 
that  it  is  in  such  a  wonderful  state  of  preservation. 
It  might  have  come  out  of  the  Mint  yesterday.  I 
am  afraid  we  shall  have  to  abandon  the  idea  of  lay- 
[64] 


A  PARTIAL  FAILURE 

ing  Fenwick  by  the  heels  on  the  charge  of  making 
counterfeit  money.     I'll  swear  this  is  genuine." 

"I  am  of  the  same  opinion,  too,"  Venner  said. 
*'I  have  handled  too  much  gold  in  my  time  to  be 
easily  deceived.  Still,  there  is  something  wrong 
here,  and  I'll  tell  you  why.  Look  at  those  two 
coins  again,  and  tell  me  the  dates  on  them." 

"That  is  very  easily  done.  One  is  dated  1901 
and  the  other  is  dated  1899.  I  don't  see  that  you 
gain  anything  by  pointing  out  that  fact  to  me.  I 
don't  see  what  you  are  driving  at." 

"Well  the  thing  is  pretty  clear.  It  would  be  less 
clear  if  those  coins  had  been  worn  by  use  and  cir- 
culation. But  they  are  both  of  them  Mint  perfect, 
and  they  are  of  different  dates.  Do  you  suppose 
that  our  friend  Fenwick  makes  a  hobby  of  collecting 
English  sovereigns  "^  Besides,  the  man  in  the  frock 
coat  was  going  to  do  something  with  these  coins; 
and,  of  course,  you  noticed  how  carefully  they  were 
wrapped  up  in  cotton  wool." 

"I  should  like  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure," 
Gurdon  said.  "Let's  take  these  two  coins  to  some 
silversmith's  shop  and  ask  if  they  are  all  right." 

It  was  no  far  journey  to  the  nearest  silversmiths, 
where  the  coins  were  cut  up,  tested,  and  weighed. 
The  assistant  smiled  as  he  handed  the  pieces  back 
to  Venner. 

"  We  will  give  you  eighteen  and  sixpence  each  for 
them,  sir,"  he  said,  "which  is  about  the  intrinsic 
5  [65] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

value  of  a  sovereign;  and,  as  you  are  probably 
aware,  sir,  English  gold  coinage  contains  a  certain 
amount  of  alloy,  without  which  it  would  speedily 
deteriorate  in  circulation,  just  as  the  old  guinea  used 
to;  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  I  have  just  lost  you 
three  shillings  by  cutting  up  those  coins." 

Venner  smiled  as  he  left  the  shop.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  he  was  a  httle  more  puzzled  now  than  he 
had  been  before.  He  had  expected  to  find  some- 
thing wrong  with  the  two  coins, 

"  We  must  suspend  judgment  for  the  present,"  he 
said.  "Still,  I  feel  absolutely  certain  that  there  is 
some  trick  here,  though  what  the  scheme  is  I  am 
utterly  at  a  loss  to  know.  Will  you  come  in  this 
evening  after  dinner  and  take  your  coffee  and  cigar 
with  me .''  My  wife  is  dining  with  me,  but  it  was 
an  express  stipulation  that  she  should  go  directly 
dinner  is  over." 

At  a  little  after  seven  Venner  was  impatiently 
waiting  the  coming  of  Vera.  He  was  not  altogether 
sorry  to  notice  that  the  dining-room  was  filling  up 
more  rapidly  than  it  had  done  for  some  days 
past.  Perhaps,  on  the  whole,  there  would  be  safety 
in  numbers.  Venner  had  secured  a  little  table 
for  two  on  the  far  side  of  the  room,  and  he  stood  in 
the  doorway  now,  waiting  somewhat  restlessly  and 
impatiently  for  Vera  to  appear.  He  was  not  a  little 
anxious  and  nervous  in  case  something  should  hap- 
pen at  the  last  moment  to  prevent  his  wife's  ap- 
[66] 


A  PARTIAL  FAILURE 

pearance.  As  a  rule,  Venner  was  not  a  man  who 
was  troubled  much  with  nerves,  though  he  became 
conscious  of  the  fact  that  he  possessed  them  to-night. 

Was  ever  a  man  so  strangely  placed  as  himself, 
he  wondered  ?  He  marvelled,  too,  that  he  could  sit 
down  so  patiently  without  asserting  his  rights.  He 
was  the  possessor  of  ample  means,  and  if  money 
stood  in  the  way  he  was  quite  prepared  to  pay  Fen- 
wick  his  price. 

On  these  somewhat  painful  meditations  Vera  in- 
truded. She  was  simply  dressed  in  white,  and  had 
no  ornaments  beyond  a  few  flowers.  Her  face  was 
flushed  now,  and  there  was  in  her  eyes  a  look  of 
something  that  approached  happiness. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,  dear,"  Venner 
said,  as  he  pressed  the  girl's  hand.  "  I  was  terribly 
afraid  that  something  might  come  in  the  way.  If 
there  is  any  danger " 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  any  danger,"  Vera  whis- 
pered, "though  there  are  other  eyes  on  me  besides 
those  of  Mark  Fenwick.  But,  all  the  same,  I  am 
not  supposed  to  know  anybody  in  the  hotel,  and  I 
come  down  to  dinner  as  a  matter  of  course.  I  am 
glad  the  place  is  so  crowded,  Gerald,  it  will  make 
us  less  conspicuous.  But  it  is  just  possible  that  I 
may  have  to  go  before  dinner  is  over.  If  that  is  so, 
I  hope  you  ^vill  not  be  annoyed  with  me." 

'*  You  have  given  me  cause  for  greater  annoyance 
than  that,"  Venner  smiled.  "And  I  have  borne  it 
[G7] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

all  uncomplainingly.  And  now  let  us  forget  the  un- 
happy past,  and  try  and  live  for  the  present.  We 
are  on  our  honeymoon,  you  understand.  I  wonder 
what  people  in  this  room  would  say  if  they  heard 
our  amazing  story." 

"I  have  no  doubt  there  are  other  stories  just  as 
sad  here,"  Vera  said,  as  she  took  her  place  at  the 
table.  "But  I  am  not  going  to  allow  myself  to  be 
miserable  to-night.  We  are  going  to  forget  every- 
thing; we  are  going  to  believe  that  this  is  Fairy- 
land, and  that  you  are  the  Prince  who " 

Despite  her  assumed  gaiety  there  was  just  a  little 
catch  in  Vera's  voice.  If  Venner  noticed  it  he  did 
not  appear  to  do  so.  For  the  next  hour  or  so  he 
meant  resolutely  to  put  the  past  out  of  his  mind, 
and  give  himself  over  to  the  ecstasy  of  the  moment. 
.  ,  .  All  too  soon  the  dinner  came  to  an  end,  and 
Gurdon  appeared. 

"  This  is  my  wife."  Yenner  said  simply.  "  Dear, 
Mr.  Gurdon  is  a  very  old  friend  of  mine,  and  I  have 
practically  no  secrets  from  him.  All  the  same,  he 
did  not  know  till  last  night  that  I  was  married — 
until  you  came  into  the  room  and  my  feelings  got 
the  better  of  me.     But  we  can  trust  Gurdon." 

"I  think  I  am  to  be  relied  upon,"  Gurdon  said 
with  a  smile.  "You  will  pardon  me  if  I  say  that  I 
never  heard  a  stranger  story  than  yours;  and  if  at 
any  time  I  can  be  of  assistance  to  you,  I  shall  be 
sincerely  happy  to  do  all  that  is  in  my  power." 
[68] 


A   PARTIAL  FAILURE 

"  You  are  very  good,"  Vera  said  gratefully.  "  Who 
knows  how  soon  I  may  call  upon  you  to  fulfil  your 
promise  ?     But  I  am  afraid  that  it  will  not  be  quite 

yet." 

They  sat  chatting  there  for  some  half  an  hour 
longer,  when  a  waiter  came  in,  and  advancing  to 
their  table  proffered  Vera  a  visiting  card,  on  the 
back  of  which  a  few  words  had  been  scribbled.  The 
girl  looked  a  little  anxious  and  distressed  as  her 
eyes  ran  over  the  writing  on  the  card.  Then  she 
rose  hurriedly. 

"I  am  afraid  I  shall  have  to  go,"  she  said.  "I 
have  been  anticipating  this  for  some  little  time." 

She  turned  to  the  waiter,  and  asked  if  her  maid 
was  outside,  to  which  the  man  responded  that  it 
was  the  maid  who  had  brought  the  card,  and  that 
she  was  waiting  with  her  wraps  in  the  corridor. 
Vera  extended  her  hand  to  Gurdon  as  she  rose  to  go. 

"I  am  exceedingly  sorry,"  she  said.  "This  has 
been  a  pleasant  evening  for  me:  perhaps  the  most 
pleasant  evening  with  one  exception  that  I  ever 
spent  in  my  life.  Gerald  will  know  what  evening  I 
mean." 

As  she  finished  she  smiled  tenderly  at  Venner. 
He  had  no  words  in  reply.  Just  at  that  moment  he 
was  filled  with  passionate  and  rebellious  anger.  He 
dared  not  trust  himself  to  speak,  conscious  as  he 
was  that  Vera's  burden  was  already  almost  more 
than  she  could  bear.  She  held  out  her  hand  to  liim 
[69] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

with  an  imploring  little  gesture,  as  if  she  under- 
stood exactly  what  was  passing  in  his  mind. 

"  You  will  forgive  me,"  she  whispered.  "  I  am 
sure  you  will  forgive  me.  It  is  nothing  but  duty 
wliich  compels  me  to  go.  I  would  far  rather  stay 
here  and  be  happy." 

Venner  took  the  extended  hand  and  pressed  it 
tenderly.  His  yearning  eyes  looked  after  the  re- 
treating figure;  then,  suddenly,  he  turned  to  Gur- 
don,  who  affected  to  be  busy  over  a  cigar. 

"I  want  you  to  do  something  for  me,"  he  said. 
"  It  is  a  strange  f a  ncy,  but  I  should  hke  you  to  fol- 
low her.  I  suppose  I  am  beginning  to  get  old  and 
nervous;  at  any  rate,  I  am  full  of  silly  fancies  to- 
night. I  am  possessed  with  the  idea  that  my  un- 
happy little  girl  is  thrusting  herself  into  some  dan- 
ger. You  can  quite  see  how  impossible  it  is  for 
me  to  dog  her  footsteps,  but  your  case  is  different. 
Of  course,  if  you  hke  to  refuse " 

"I  am  not  going  to  refuse,"  Gurdon  said.  "I 
can  see  nothing  dishonorable.  I'll  go  at  once,  if 
you  like." 

Venner  nodded  curtly,  and  Gurdon  rose  from  the 
table.  He  passed  out  into  the  street  just  as  the 
slim  figure  of  Vera  was  descending  the  steps  of  the 
hotel.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  recognising  her  out- 
line, though  she  was  clad  from  head  to  foot  now  in 
a  long,  black  wrap,  and  her  fair  hair  was  disguised 
under  a  hood  of  the  same  material.  Rather  to 
[70] 


A  PARTIAL  FAILURE 

Gurdon's  surprise,  the  girl  had  not  called  a  cab. 
She  was  walking  down  the  street  with  a  firm,  de- 
termined step,  as  of  one  who  knew  exactly  where 
she  was  going,  and  meant  to  get  there  in  as  short  a 
time  as  possible. 

Gurdon  followed  cautiously  at  a  distance.  He 
was  not  altogether  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  that 
his  action  was  quite  as  straightforward  as  it  might 
have  been.  Still,  he  had  given  his  promise,  and  he 
was  not  inclined  to  back  out  of  it  now.  For  about 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  he  followed,  until  Vera  at 
length  halted  before  a  house  somewhere  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Grosvenor  Square.  It  was  a  fine, 
large  corner  mansion,  but  so  far  as  Gurdon  could 
see  there  was  not  a  light  in  the  place  from  parapet 
to  basement.  He  could  see  Vera  going  up  the  steps ; 
he  was  close  enough  to  hear  the  sound  of  an  electric 
bell;  then  a  light  blazed  in  the  hall,  and  the  door 
was  opened.  So  far  as  Gurdon  could  see,  it  was  an 
old  man  v;ho  opened  the  door;  an  old  man  with  a 
long,  grey  beard,  and  a  face  lined  and  scored  with 
the  ravages  of  time.  All  this  happened  in  an  in- 
stant. The  door  was  closed  again,  and  the  whole 
house  left  in  darkness. 

Gurdon  paused,  a  little  uncertain  as  to  what  to 
do  next.  He  would  have  liked,  if  possible,  to  be  a 
little  closer  to  Vera,  for  if  there  were  any  dangers 
threatening  her  he  would  be  just  as  powerless  to 
help  now  as  if  he  had  been  in  another  part  of  the 
[71] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

town.  He  walked  slowly  down  the  side  of  the 
house,  and  noted  that  there  was  a  fine  garden  be- 
hind, and  a  small  green  door  leading  to  the  lane. 
Acting  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment  he  tried  the 
door,  which  yielded  to  his  touch.  If  he  had  been 
asked  why  he  did  this  thing  he  would  have  found  it 
exceedingly  diflBcult  to  reply.  Still,  the  thing  was 
done,  and  Gurdon  walked  forward  over  the  wide 
expanse  of  lawn  till  he  could  make  out  at  length  a 
row  of  windows,  looking  out  from  the  back  of  the 
house.  It  was  not  so  very  easy  to  discern  all  this, 
for  the  night  was  dark,  and  the  back  of  the  house 
darker  still.  Presently  a  light  flared  out  in  one  of 
the  rooms,  and  then  Gurdon  could  make  out  the 
dome  of  a  large  conservatory  leading  from  the  gar- 
den to  the  house. 

"  I  shall  find  myself  in  the  hands  of  the  police, 
if  I  don't  take  care,"  Gurdon  said  to  himself. 
"  What  an  ass  I  am  to  embark  on  an  adventure  like 
tliis.  It  isn't  as  if  I  had  the  slightest  chance  of 
being  of  any  use  to  the  girl,  seeing  that  I " 

He  broke  off,  suddenly  conscious  of  the  fact  that 
another  of  the  rooms  was  Hghted  now — a  large  one, 
by  the  side  of  the  conservatory.  In  the  silence  of 
the  garden  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  could  hear 
voices  raised  angrily,  and  then  a  cry,  as  if  of  pain, 
from  somebody  inside. 

Fairly  interested  at  last,  Gurdon  advanced  till  he 
was  close  to  the  window.     He  could  hear  no  more 
[72] 


A  PARTIAL  FAILURE 

now,  for  the  same  tense  silence  had  fallen  over  the 
place  once  more.  Gurdon  pressed  close  to  the  win- 
dow; he  felt  something  yield  beneath  his  feet,  and 
the  next  moment  he  had  plunged  headlong  into  the 
darkness  of  something  that  suggested  an  under- 
ground cellar.  Perhaps  he  had  been  standing  un- 
consciously on  a  grating  that  was  none  too  safe,  for 
now  he  felt  himself  bruised  and  half  stunned,  lying 
on  his  back  on  a  cold,  hard  floor,  amid  a  mass  of 
broken  glass  and  rusty  ironwork. 

Startled  and  surprised  as  he  was,  the  noise  of  the 
breaking  glass  sounded  in  Gurdon's  ears  like  the 
din  of  some  earthquake.  He  struggled  to  his  feet, 
hoping  that  the  gods  would  be  kind  to  him,  and 
that  he  could  get  away  before  his  presence  there 
was  discovered.  He  was  still  dazed  and  confused; 
his  head  ached  painfully,  and  he  groped  in  the  pitch 
darkness  without  any  prospect  of  escape.  He  could 
nowhere  find  an  avenue.  So  far  as  he  could  judge, 
he  was  absolutely  caught  like  a  rat  in  a  trap. 

He  half  smiled  to  himself;  he  was  still  too  dazed 
to  grasp  the  significance  of  his  position,  when  a 
light  suddenly  appeared  overhead,  at  the  top  of  a 
flight  of  stairs,  and  a  hoarse  voice  demanded  to 
know  who  was  there.  In  the  same  dreamy  kind  of 
w^ay,  Gurdon  was  just  conscious  of  the  fact  that  a 
strong  pair  of  arms  Hfted  him  from  the  floor,  and 
that  he  was  being  carried  up  the  steps.  In  the  same 
dreamy  fashion,  he  was  cognisant  of  Hght  and 
[73] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

warmth,  a  luxurious  atmosphere,  and  rows  upon 
rows  of  beautiful  flowers  everywhere.  He  would, 
no  doubt,  awake  presently,  and  find  that  the  whole 
thing  was  a  dream.  Meanwhile,  there  was  nothing 
visionary  about  the  glass  of  brandy  which  somebody 
had  put  to  his  lips,  or  about  the  hands  which  were 
brushing  him  down  and  removing  all  traces  of  his 
recent  adventure. 

"When  you  feel  quite  up  to  it,  sir,"  a  quiet,  re- 
sj)ectful  voice  said,  "my  master  would  like  to  see 
you.  He  is  naturally  curious  enough  to  know  what 
you  were  doing  in  the  garden." 

"I  am  afraid  your  master  must  have  his  own 
way,"  Gurdon  said  grimly.  "  I  am  feeling  pretty 
well  now,  thanks  to  the  brandy.  If  you  will  take 
me  to  your  master,  I  will  try  to  explain  matters." 

The  servant  led  the  way  into  a  large,  handsome 
apartment,  where  a  man  in  evening  dress  was  seated 
in  a  big  armchair  before  the  fire.  He  looked  round 
with  a  peculiar  smile  as  Gurdon  came  in. 

"Well,  sir,"  he  said.  "And  what  does  this 
mean  t 

Gurdon  had  no  voice  to  reply,  for  the  man  in  the 
armchair  was  the  handsome  cripple — the  hero  of  the 
forefinger. 


[74] 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  White  Lady 

GuRDON  looked  hopelessly  about  him,  utterly  at  a 
loss  for  anything  to  say.  The  whole  thing  had 
been  so  unexpected,  so  very  opposite  to  the  com- 
monplace ending  he  had  anticipated,  that  he  was 
too  dazed  and  confused  to  do  anything  but  smile 
in  an  inane  and  foolish  manner.  He  had  rather 
looked  forward  to  seeing  some  eccentric  individual, 
some  elderly  recluse  who  lived  there  with  a  servant 
or  two.  And  here  he  was,  face  to  face  with  the 
man  who,  at  the  present  moment,  was  to  him  the 
most  interesting  in  London. 

"You  can  take  your  time,"  the  cripple  said.  "I 
am  anxious  for  you  to  believe  that  I  am  not  in  the 
least  hurry.  The  point  of  the  problem  is  this:  a 
well  dressed  man,  evidently  a  gentleman,  is  dis- 
covered at  a  late  hour  in  the  evening  in  my  cellar. 
As  the  gentleman  in  question  is  obviously  sober, 
one  naturally  feels  a  little  curiosity  as  to  what  it  all 
means." 

The  speaker  spoke  quite  slowly  and  clearly,  and 

with  a  sarcastic  emphasis  that  caused  Gurdon  to 

writhe  impotently.     Every  word  and  gesture  on  the 

part  of  the  cripple  spoke  of  a  strong  mind  and  a 

[75] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

clear  intellect  in  that  twisted  body.  Despite  the 
playful  acidity  of  his  words,  there  was  a  distinct 
threat  underlying  them.  It  occurred  to  Gurdon  as 
he  stood  there  that  he  would  much  rather  have  this 
man  for  a  friend  than  a  foe. 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  take  a  seat,"  the  cripple 
said.  "There  is  plenty  of  time,  and  I  don't  mind 
confessing  to  you  that  this  little  comedy  amuses  me. 
Heaven  knows,  I  have  little  enough  amusement  in 
my  dreary  life;  and,  therefore,  in  a  measure,  you 
have  earned  my  gratitude.  But  there  is  another 
side  to  the  picture.  I  have  enemies  who  are  utterly 
unscrupulous.  I  have  to  be  unscrupulous  in  my 
turn,  so  that  when  I  have  the  opportunity  of  laying 
one  of  them  by  the  heels,  my  methods  are  apt  to  be 
thorough.  Did  you  come  here  alone  to-night,  or 
have  you  an  accomplice  ?  " 

"  Assuredly,  I  came  alone,"  Gurdon  replied. 

"Oh,  indeed.  You  found  your  way  into  the 
garden.  To  argue  out  the  thing  logically,  we  will 
take  it  for  granted  that  you  had  no  intention  what- 
ever of  paying  a  visit  to  my  garden  when  you  left 
home.  If  such  had  been  your  intention,  you  would 
not  be  wearing  evening  dress,  and  thin,  patent 
leather  shoes.  Your  visit  to  the  garden  was  either 
a  resolution  taken  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  or 
was  determined  upon  after  a  certain  discovery.  I 
am  glad  to  hear  that  you  came  here  entirely  by 
yourself." 

[76] 


THE  WHITE   LADY 

There  was  an  unmistakable  threat  in  these  latter 
words;  and  as  Gurdon  looked  up  he  saw  that  the 
cripple  was  regarding  him  with  an  intense  mahg- 
nity.  The  grey  eyes  were  cold  and  merciless,  the 
handsome  face  hard  and  set,  and  yet  it  was  not  a 
countenance  which  one  usually  associates  with  the 
madman  or  the  criminal.  Really,  it  was  a  very 
noble  face — the  face  of  a  philanthropist,  a  poet,  a 
great  statesman,  who  devotes  his  money  and  his 
talents  to  the  interests  of  his  country.  Despite  a 
feeling  of  danger,  Gurdon  could  not  help  making  a 
mental  note  of  these  things. 

"  Won't  you  sit  down  ?  "  the  cripple  asked  again. 
"  I  should  like  to  have  a  little  chat  with  you.  Here 
are  whisky  and  soda,  and  some  cigars,  for  the  ex- 
cellence of  which  I  can  vouch,  as  I  import  them 
myself.  Perhaps,  also,  you  share  with  me  a  love 
of  flowers  ? " 

With  a  wave  of  liis  strong  arm,  the  speaker  indi- 
cated the  wealth  of  blossoms  which  arose  from  all 
sides  of  the  room.  There  were  flowers  everywhere. 
The  luxuriant  blooms  seemed  to  overpower  and 
dwarf  the  handsome  furnishings  of  the  room.  At 
the  far  end,  folding  doors  opened  into  the  conserva- 
tory, which  was  a  veritable  mass  of  brilliant  colors. 
The  cripple  smiled  upon  his  blossoms,  as  a  mother 
might  smile  on  her  child. 

"These  are  the  only  friends  who  never  deceive 
you,"  he  said.  "Flowers  and  dogs,  and,  perhaps, 
[77] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

little  children.  I  know  this,  because  I  have  suf- 
fered from  contact  with  the  world,  as,  perhaps,  you 
will  notice  when  you  regard  this  poor  body  of  mine. 
I  think  you  said  just  now  you  came  here  entirely 
by  yourself." 

!  "That  is  a  fact,"  Gurdon  replied.  He  was  be- 
ginning to  feel  a  little  more  at  his  ease  now.  "  Let 
me  hasten  to  assure  you  that  I  came  here  with  no 
felonious  intent  at  all.  I  was  looking  for  somebody, 
and  I  thought  that  my  friend  came  here.  You  will 
pardon  me  if  I  do  not  explain  with  any  amount  of 
detail,  because  the  thing  does  not  concern  myself 

altogether.     And,  besides " 

^  Gurdon  paused;  he  could  not  possibly  tell  this 
stranger  of  the  startling  events  which  had  led  to  his 
present  awkward  situation.  In  any  case,  he  would 
not  have  been  believed. 

:  "We  need  not  go  into  that,"  the  cripple  said. 
"It  is  all  by  the  way.  You  came  here  alone;  and, 
I  take  it,  when  you  left  your  home,  you  had  not  the 
slightest  intention  of  coming  here.  To  make  my 
meaning  a  little  more  clear,  if  you  disappeared 
from  this  moment,  and  your  friends  never  saw  you 
again,  the  police  would  not  have  the  slightest  clue 
to  your  whereabouts." 

Gurdon  laughed  just  a  little  uneasily;  he  began 

to  entertain  the  idea  that  he  was  face  to  face  with 

some  dangerous  lunatic,  some  man  whose  dreadful 

troubles  and  misfortunes  had  turned  him  against 

[78] 


THE  WHITE   LADY 

the  world.     Evidently,  it  would  be  the  right  policy 
to  humor  him. 

"That  is  quite  cx)rrect,"  he  said.  "Nobody  has 
the  least  idea  where  I  am;  and  if  the  unpleasant 
contingency  you  allude  to  happened  to  me,  I  should 
go  down  to  posterity  as  one  of  the  victims  of  the 
mysterious  type  of  crime  that  startles  London  now 
and  again." 

"  I  should  think,"  said  the  stranger,  in  a  thin,  dry 
tone,  that  caused  Gurdon's  pulses  to  beat  a  little 
faster — "I  should  think  that  your  prophecy  is  in  a 
fair  way  to  turn  out  correct.  I  don't  ask  you  why 
you  came  here,  because  you  would  not  tell  me  if  I 
did.  But  you  must  have  been  spying  on  the  place, 
or  you  would  not  have  had  the  misfortune  to  tread 
on  a  damaged  grating,  and  finish  your  adventure 
ignominiously  in  the  cellar.  As  I  told  you  just 
now,  I  have  enemies  who  are  absolutely  unscrupu- 
lous, and  who  would  give  much  for  a  chance  of 
murdering  me  if  the  thing  could  be  done  with  im- 
punity. Common  sense  prompts  me  to  take  it  for 
granted  that  you  are  in  some  way  connected  with 
the  foes  to  whom  I  have  alluded." 

"  I  assure  you,  I  am  not,"  Gurdon  protested."  I  am 
the  enemy  of  no  man.     I  came  here  to  night " 

Gurdon  stopped  in  some  confusion.     How  could 
he  possibly  tell  this  man  why  he  had  come  and 
what  he  had  in  his  mind?     The  thing  was  awk- 
ward— almost  to  the  verge  of  absurdity. 
[79] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"I  quite  see  the  quandary  you  are  in,"  said  the 
cripple,  with  a  smile.  "Now,  let  me  ask  you  a 
question.  Do  you  happen  to  know  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Mark  Fenwick  ?  " 

The  query  was  so  straight  and  to  the  point  that 
Gurdon  fairly  started.  More  and  more  did  he  be- 
gin to  appreciate  the  subtlety  and  cleverness  of  his 
companion.  It  was  impossible  to  fence  the  inter- 
rogation; it  had  to  be  answered,  one  way  or  the 
other. 

"I  know  the  man  by  sight,"  he  said;  "but  I  beg 
to  assure  you  that  until  last  night  I  had  never  seen 
him." 

,  "That  may  be,"  the  cripple  said  drily.  "But 
you  know  him  now,  and  that  satisfies  me.  Now, 
listen.  You  see  what  I  have  in  my  hand.  Per- 
haps you  are  acquainted  with  weapons  of  this  kind  ?  " 

So  saying,  the  speaker  WTiggled  in  his  chair,  and 
produced  from  somewhere  behind  him  a  small  re- 
volver. Despite  its  silver  plated  barrel  and  ivory 
handle,  it  was  a  sinister  looking  weapon,  and  cap- 
able of  deadly  mischief  in  the  hands  of  an  expert. 
Though  no  judge  of  such  matters,  it  occurred  to 
Gurdon  that  his  companion  handled  the  revolver  as 
an  expert  should. 

"I  have  been  used  to  this  kind  of  thing  from  a 
boy,"  the  cripple  said.  "I  could  shoot  you  where 
you  sit  within  a  hair's  breadth  of  where  I  wanted  to 
hit  you." 

[80] 


THE   WHITE   LADY 

"Which  would  be  murder,"  Gurdon  said  quietly. 

"Perhaps  it  would,  in  the  eyes  of  the  law;  but 
there  are  times  when  one  is  tempted  to  defy  the 
mandates  of  a  wise  legislature.  For  instance,  I 
have  told  you  more  than  once  before  that  I  have 
enemies,  and  everything  points  to  the  fact  that  you 
are  the  tool  and  accomplice  of  some  of  them.  I  have 
about  me  one  or  two  faithful  people,  who  would  do 
anything  I  ask.  If  I  shoot  you  now  the  report  of  a 
weapon  like  this  will  hardly  be  audible  beyond  the 
door.  You  lie  there,  dead,  shot  clean  through  the 
brain.  I  ring  my  bell  and  tell  my  servants  to  clear 
this  mess  away.  I  give  them  orders  to  go  and  bury 
it  quietly  somewhere,  and  they  would  obey  me  with- 
out the  slightest  hesitation.  Nothing  more  would 
be  said.  I  should  be  as  safe  from  molestation  as  if 
the  whole  thing  had  happened  on  a  desert  island. 
I  hope  I  have  succeeded  in  making  the  position 
clear,  because  I  should  be  loth  to  think  that  a  little 
incident  Hke  this  should  cause  inconvenience  to  one 
who  might  after  all  have  been  absolutely  innocent." 

The  words  were  spoken  quietly,  and  without  the 
sHghtest  trace  of  passion.  Still,  there  was  no  mis- 
taking the  malignity  and  intense  fury  which  under- 
lay the  well  chosen  and  well  balanced  sentences. 

Gurdon  was  silent;  there  was  nothing  for  him  to 

say.     He  was  in  a  position  in  which  he  could  not 

possibly  explain;  he  could  only  sit  there,  looking 

into  the  barrel  of  the  deadly  weapon,  and  praving 

6  [81] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

for  some  diversion  which  might  be  the  means  of 
saving  his  hfe.  It  came  presently  in  a  strange  and 
totally  unexpected  fashion.  Upon  the  tense,  nerve- 
breaking  silence,  a  voice  suddenly  intruded  Uke  a 
flash  of  light  in  a  dark  place.  It  was  a  sweet  and 
girlish  voice,  singing  some  simple  ballad,  with  a 
natural  pathos  which  rendered  the  song  singularly 
touching  and  attractive.  As  the  voice  came  nearer 
the  cripple's  expression  changed  entirely;  his  hard 
eyes  grew  soft,  and  the  handsome  features  were 
wreathed  in  a  smile.  Then  the  door  opened,  and 
the  singer  came  in. 

Gurdon  looked  at  her,  though  she  seemed  un- 
conscious of  his  presence  altogether.  He  saw  a 
slight,  fair  girl,  dressed  entirely  in  white,  with  her 
long  hair  streaming  over  her  shoulders.  The  face 
was  very  sad  and  wistful,  the  blue  eyes  clouded  with 
some  suggestion  of  trouble  and  despair.  Gurdon 
did  not  need  a  second  glance  to  assure  him  that  he 
was  in  the  presence  of  one  who  was  mentally  af- 
flicted. She  came  forward  and  took  her  place  by 
the  side  of  the  cripple. 

"They  told  me  that  you  are  busy,"  she  said, 
*'  Just  as  if  it  mattered  whether  you  were  busy  or 
not,  when  I  wanted  to  see  you." 

"You  must  go  away  now,  Beth,"  the  cripple  said, 
in  his  softest  and  most  tender  manner.  "  Don't  you 
see  that  I  am  talking  with  this  gentleman  ?  " 

The  girl  turned  eagerly  to  Gurdon;  she  crossed 
[82] 


THE  WHITE   LADY 

the  room  with  a  swift,  elastic  step,  and  laid  her  two 
hands  on  him. 

"I  know  what  you  have  come  for,"  she  said, 
eagerly.  "You  have  come  to  tell  me  all  about 
Charles.  You  have  found  him  at  last;  you  are  go- 
ing to  bring  him  back  to  me.  They  told  me  he 
was  dead,  that  he  had  perished  in  the  mine;  but  I 
knew  better  than  that.  I  know  that  Charles  will 
come  back  to  me  again." 

"What  mine.''"  Gurdon  asked. 

"  Why,  the  Four  Finger  Mine,  of  course,"  was  the 
totally  unexpected  reply.  "They  said  that  Charles 
had  lost  his  life  in  the  Four  Finger  Mine.  It  was 
in  a  kind  of  dream  that  I  saw  his  body  lying  there, 
murdered.  But  I  shall  wake  from  the  dream  pres- 
ently, and  he  will  come  back  to  me,  come  back  in 
the  evening,  as  he  always  used  to  when  the  sun 
was  setting  beyond  the  pines." 

There  was  something  so  utterly  sad  and  hopeless 
in  this  that  Gurdon  averted  his  eyes  from  the  girl's 
face.  He  glanced  in  the  direction  of  the  door;  then 
it  required  all  his  self  control  to  repress  a  cry,  for 
in  the  comparative  gloom  of  the  passage  beyond, 
he  could  just  make  out  the  figure  of  Vera,  who  stood 
there  with  her  finger  on  her  lip  as  if  imposing  si- 
lence. He  could  see  that  in  her  hand  she  held 
sometliing  that  looked  hke  a  chisel.  A  moment 
later  she  flitted  away  once  more,  leaving  Gurdon  to 
puzzle  his  brain  as  to  what  it  all  meant. 
[83] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"  I  am  sorry  for  all  this,"  the  cripple  said.  "  You 
have  entirely  by  accident  come  face  to  face  with  a 
phase  in  my  life  which  is  sacred  and  inviolate. 
Really,  if  I  had  no  other  reason  for  reducing 
you  to  silence,  this  would  be  a  sufficiently  power- 
ful inducement.  My  dear  Beth,  I  really  must  ask 
you " 

Whatever  the  cripple  might  have  intended  to  say, 
the  speech  was  never  finished;  for,  at  that  moment, 
the  electric  lights  vanished  suddenly,  plunging  the 
whole  house  into  absolute  darkness.  A  moment 
later,  footsteps  came  hurrying  along  in  the  hall,  and 
a  voice  was  heard  to  say  that  the  fuse  from  the 
meter  had  gone,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  turn 
on  the  light  again  until  the  officials  had  been  called 
in  to  repair  the  damage.  At  the  same  moment, 
Gurdon  rose  to  his  feet  and  crept  quietly  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  door.  Here,  at  any  rate,  was  a  chance 
of  escape,  for  that  his  life  was  in  dire  peril  he  had 
felt  for  some  little  time.  He  had  hardly  reached 
the  doorway  when  he  felt  a  slim  hand  touch  his, 
and  he  was  guided  from  the  room  into  the  passage 
beyond.  He  could  give  a  pretty  fair  idea  as  to  the 
owner  of  the  slim  fingers  that  trembled  in  his  own, 
but  he  made  no  remark;  he  allowed  himself  to  be 
led  on  till  his  feet  stumbled  against  the  stairs. 

"This  way,"  a  voice  whispered.  "Say  nothing, 
and  make  no  protest.  You  will  be  quite  safe  from 
further  harm," 

[81] 


THE  WHITE   LADY 

Gurdon  did  exactly  as  he  was  told.  He  found 
himself  presently  at  the  top  of  a  staircase,  and  a 
little  later  on  in  a  room,  the  door  of  which  was 
closed  very  quietly  by  his  guide. 

"I  think  I  can  guess  who  I  have  to  thank  for 
this,"  Gurdon  murmured.  "But  why  did  you  not 
take  me  to  the  front  door,  or  the  back  entrance 
leading  to  the  garden?  It  was  lucky  for  me  that 
the  lights  failed  at  the  critical  moment — a  piece  of 
nominal  good  fortune,  such  as  usually  only  happens 
in  a  story.  But  I  should  feel  a  great  deal  safer  if 
I  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  front  door." 

"That  is  quite  impossible,"  Vera  said,  for  it  was 
she  who  had  come  to  Gurdon's  rescue.  "Both 
doors  are  locked,  and  all  the  rooms  on  the  ground 
floor  are  furnished  with  shutters.  As  to  the  light 
going  out,  I  am  responsible  for  it.  I  learned  all 
about  the  electric  light  when  I  lived  in  a  mining 
camp  in  Mexico.  I  had  only  to  remove  one  of  the 
lamps  and  apply  my  chisel  to  the  two  poles,  and 
thereby  put  out  every  fuse  in  the  house.  That  is 
why  the  Hght  failed,  for  it  occurred  to  me  that  in 
the  confusion  that  followed  the  darkness,  I  should 
be  in  a  position  to  save  you.  But  you  httle  realise 
how  near  you  have  been  to  death  to-night.  And, 
why,  oh,  why  did  you  follow  me  in  this  way .''  It 
•was  very  wrong  of  you." 

"It  was  Venner's  idea,"  Gurdon  said.  "He  had 
a  strange  fear  that  you  were  going  into  some  danger. 
[85] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

He  asked  me  to  follow  you,  and  I  did  so.     As  to 

the  manner  of  my  getting  here " 

"  I  know  all  about  that,"  Vera  said  hurriedly.  "  I 
have  been  listening  to  your  conversation.  I  dare 
say  you  are  curious  to  know  something  more  about 
this  strange  household;  but,  for  the  present,  you 
will  be  far  better  employed  in  getting  away  from 
it.  I  shall  not  be  easy  in  my  mind  till  you  are  once 
more  in  the  street." 


[86  3 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Missing 

GuRDON  waited  to  hear  what  his  companion  was 
going  to  say  now.  He  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
place  himself  implicitly  in  her  hands,  and  let  her 
decide  for  the  best.  Evidently,  he  had  found  him- 
self in  a  kind  of  lunatic  asylum,  where  one  inhabi- 
tant at  least  had  developed  a  dangerous  form  of 
homicidal  mania,  and  he  had  a  pretty  sure  conclu- 
sion that  Vera  had  saved  his  life.  It  was  no  time 
now  to  ask  questions;  that  would  come  later  on. 

"I  am  sure  I  am  awfully  grateful  to  you,"  Gur- 
don  said.  "  Who  are  these  people,  and  why  do  they 
behave  in  this  insane  fashion  ?  This  is  not  exactly 
the  kind  of  menage  one  expects  to  find  in  one  of 
the  best  appointed  mansions  in  the  West  End." 

'T  can  tell  you  nothing  about  it,"  Vera  said. 
There  was  a  marked  coldness  in  her  voice  that  told 
Gurdon  he  was  going  too  far.  "  I  can  tell  you  noth- 
ing. One  thing  you  may  rest  assured  of — I  am  in 
no  kind  of  danger,  nor  am  I  likely  to  be.  My  con- 
cern chiefly  at  the  present  moment  is  with  you.  I 
want  you  to  get  back  as  soon  as  you  can  to  the 
Great  Empire  Hotel,  and  ease  Gerald's  mind  as  to 
myself." 

[87] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"I  hardly  like  to  go,  without  you,"  Gurdon  mur- 
mured. 

"But  you  must,"  Vera  protested.  "Let  me  as- 
sure you  once  more  that  I  am  as  absolutely  safe  here 
as  if  I  were  in  my  own  room.  Now,  come  this  way. 
I  dare  not  strike  a  light.  I  can  only  take  you  by 
the  hand  and  lead  you  to  the  top  of  the  house. 
Every  inch  of  the  place  is  perfectly  familiar  to  me, 
and  you  are  not  likely  to  come  to  the  least  harm. 
Please  don't  waste  a  moment  more  of  your  time." 

Gurdon  yielded  against  his  better  judgment.  A 
moment  or  two  later,  he  found  himself  climbing 
through  a  skylight  on  to  the  flat  leads  at  the  top  of 
the  house.  By  the  hght  of  the  town  he  could  now 
see  what  he  was  doing,  and  pretty  well  where  he 
was.  From  the  leads  he  could  look  down  into  the 
garden,  though,  as  yet,  he  could  not  discern  any 
avenue  of  escape. 

"  The  thing  is  quite  easy,"  Vera  explained.  "  The 
late  occupant  of  the  house  had  a  nervous  dread  of 
fire,  and  from  every  floor  he  had  a  series  of  rope 
ladders  arranged.  See,  there  is  one  fixed  to  this 
chimney.  I  have  only  to  throw  it  over,  and  you 
can  reach  the  garden  without  delay;  then  I  will 
pull  the  ladder  up  again  and  no  one  will  be  any  the 
wiser.  Please,  leave  me  without  any  further  de- 
lay, in  the  absolute  assurance  that  I  shall  be  back 
again  within  an  hour." 

A  few  minutes  later  Gurdon  was  in  the  street 
[88] 


MISSING 

again,  making  his  way  back  to  the  hotel  where  Ven- 
ner  was  waiting  for  him. 

It  was  a  strange  story  that  he  had  to  tell;  a  very 
thrilling  and  interesting  adventure,  but  one  which, 
after  all,  still  further  complicated  the  mystery  and 
rendered  it  almost  unintelligible. 

"And  you  mean  to  say  that  you  have  been  actu- 
ally face  to  face  with  our  cripple  friend  ?  "  Venner 
said.  "You  mean  to  say  that  he  would  actually 
have  murdered  you  if  Vera  had  not  interfered  in 
that  providential  manner.'*  I  suppose  I  must  ac- 
cept your  assurance  that  she  is  absolutely  safe, 
though  I  can't  help  feeling  that  she  has  exaggerated 
her  own  position.  I  am  terribly  anxious  about  her. 
I  have  an  idea  which  I  should  like  to  carry  out.  I 
feel  tolerably  sure  that  this  picturesque  cripple  of 
ours  could  tell  us  everything  that  we  want  to  know. 
Besides,  unless  I  do  sometliing  I  shall  go  mad. 
What  do  you  say  to  paying  the  interesting  cripple 
a  visit  to-morrow  night,  and  forcing  him  to  tell  us 
everything  ?  " 

Gurdon  shook  his  head ;  he  was  not  particularly  im- 
pressed with  the  suggestion  that  Venner  had  made. 

"Of  course,  we  could  get  into  the  house  easily 
enough,"  he  said.  "Now  that  I  have  learned  the 
secret  of  the  cellar,  there  will  be  no  difficulty  about 
that.  Still,  don't  you  think  it  seems  rather  ridicu- 
lous to  try  tliis  sort  of  thing  when  your  wife  is  in  a 
position  to  tell  you  the  whole  tiling  ?  " 
[89] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"But  she  would  decline  to  do  anything  of  the 
kind,"  Venner  protested.  "She  has  told  me  that 
her  lips  are  sealed;  she  has  even  no  explanation  to 
offer  for  the  way  in  which  she  left  me  within  half- 
an-hour  of  our  becoming  man  and  wife.  I  should 
almost  be  justified  in  forcing  her  to  speak;  but,  you 
see,  I  cannot  do  that.  Therefore,  I  must  treat  her 
in  a  way  as  if  she  were  one  of  our  enemies.  I  have 
a  very  strong  fancy  for  paying  a  visit  to  our  cripple 
friend,  and,  if  the  worst  came  to  the  worst,  we  could 
convince  him  that  we  are  emphatically  not  on  the 
side  of  Mark  Fenwick.  At  any  rate,  I  mean  to 
have  a  try,  and  if  you  don't  like  to  come  in " 

"  Oh,  I'll  come  in  fast  enough,"  Gurdon  said. 
"You  had  better  meet  me  to-morrow  night  at  my 
rooms,  say,  about  eleven;  then,  we  will  see  what 
we  can  do  with  a  view  to  a  solution  of  the  mystery." 

At  the  appointed  time,  Venner  duly  put  in  an 
appearance.  He  was  clothed  in  a  dark  suit  and 
cap,  Gurdon  donning  a  similar  costume.  Under 
his  arm  Venner  had  a  small  brown  paper  parcel. 

"  What  have  you  got  there  "^  "  Gurdon  asked. 

"  A  pair  of  tennis  shoes,"  was  the  response.  "  And 
if  you  take  my  advice,  you  should  have  a  pair,  too. 
My  idea  is  to  take  off  our  boots  directly  we  get  into 
the  seclusion  of  the  garden  and  change  into  these 
shoes.     Now  come  along,  let's  get  it  over." 

It  was  an  easy  matter  to  reach  the  garden  with- 
out being  observed,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the 
[90] 


MISSING 

two  friends  were  standing  close  to  the  windows  of 
the  large  room  at  the  back  of  the  house.  There 
was  not  so  much  as  a  glimmer  of  light  to  be  seen 
anywhere  within.  Very  cautiously  they  felt  their 
way  along  until  they  came  at  length  to  the  grating 
through  which  Gurdon  had  made  so  dramatic  an 
entrance  on  the  night  before.  He  took  from  his 
pocket  a  box  of  vestas,  and  ventured  to  strike  one. 
He  held  it  down  close  to  the  ground,  shading  the 
tiny  point  of  flame  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand. 

"  Here  is  a  bit  of  luck  to  begin  with,"  he  chuckled. 
"They  haven't  fastened  this  grating  up  again.  I 
suppose  my  escape  last  night  must  have  upset  them. 
At  any  rate,  here  is  a  way  into  the  house  without 
running  the  risk  of  being  arrested  on  a  charge  of 
burglary,  and  if  the  police  did  catch  us  we  should 
find  it  an  exceedingly  awkward  matter  to  frame  an 
excuse  carefully,  to  satisfy  a  magistrate." 

"That  seems  all  right,"  Venner  said.  "When 
we  get  into  the  cellar  it's  any  odds  that  we  find  the 
door  of  the  stairs  locked.  I  don't  suppose  the  grat- 
ing has  been  forgotten.  You  see,  it  is  not  such  an 
easy  matter  to  get  the  British  workman  to  do  a  job 
on  the  spur  of  the  moment." 

"Well,  come  along;  we  will  soon  ascertain  that," 
Gurdon  said.  "Once  down  these  steps,  we  shall 
be  able  to  use  our  matches." 

They  crept  cautiously  down  the  stairs  into  the 
damp  and  moldy  cellar;  thence,  up  the  steps  on 
[91] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

the  other  side,  where  Gurdon  Hghted  one  of  his 
matches.  The  door  was  closed,  but  it  yielded  quite 
easily  to  the  touch,  and  at  length  the  two  men  were 
in  the  part  of  the  house  which  was  given  over  to 
the  use  of  the  servants.  So  far  as  they  could  judge 
the  place  was  absolutely  deserted.  Doubtless  the 
domestic  staff  had  retired  to  bed.  All  the  same,  it 
seemed  strange  to  find  no  signs  of  hfe  in  the  kitchen. 
The  stove  was  cold,  and  though  the  grate  was  full 
of  cinders,  it  was  quite  apparent  that  no  fire  had 
been  lighted  there  for  the  past  four  and  twenty 
hours.  Again,  there  was  no  furniture  in  the  kitchen 
other  than  a  large  table  and  a  couple  of  chairs. 
The  dressers  were  empty,  and  the  shelves  deprived 
of  their  usual  burden. 

"  This  is  odd,"  Venner  murmured.  "  Perhaps  we 
shall  have  better  luck  on  the  dining-room  floor.  I 
suppose  we  had  better  not  turn  on  the  lights ! " 

"  That  would  be  too  risky,"  Gurdon  said.  "  How- 
ever, I  have  plenty  of  matches,  which  will  serve  our 
purpose  equally  well." 

On  cautiously  reaching  the  hall  a  further  surprise 
awaited  the  intruders.  There  was  absolutely  noth- 
ing there — not  so  much  as  an  umbrella  stand.  The 
marble  floor  was  swept  bare  of  everything,  the  big 
dining-room  which  the  night  before  had  been  most 
luxuriously  furnished,  was  now  stripped  and  empty; 
not  so  much  as  a  flower  remained;  and  the  con- 
servatory beyond  showed  nothing  but  wooden  stag- 
[92] 


MISSING 

ing  and  glittering  glass  behind  that.  A  close  ex- 
amination of  the  whole  house  disclosed  the  fact 
that  it  was  absolutely  empty. 

"  If  I  did  not  know  you  as  well  as  I  do,"  Venner 
said  grimly,  "  I  should  say  that  you  had  been  drink- 
ing. Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  sat  in  this 
dining-room  last  night,  and  that  it  was  furnished  in 
the  luxurious  way  you  described  ?  Do  you  mean  to 
tell  me  that  you  sat  here,  opposite  our  cripple  friend, 
waiting  for  him  to  shoot  you  ?  Are  you  perfectly 
ceri;ain  that  we  have  made  our  way  into  the  right 
house  ?     You  have  no  doubt  on  that  score  ?  " 

"Of  course,  I  haven't,"  Gurdon  said,  a  little 
hotly.  "  Would  there  be  two  houses  close  together, 
both  of  them  with  a  broken  grating  over  the  cellar  ? 
I  tell  you  this  is  the  same  house  right  enough.  It 
was  just  in  this  particular  spot  I  was  seated  when 
the  lights  went  out,  and  your  wife's  fertility  of  re- 
source saved  my  life.  It  may  be  possible  that  the 
electric  fuses  have  not  yet  been  repaired.  At  any 
rate,  I'll  see." 

Gurdon  laid  his  hand  upon  the  switch  and  snapped 
it  down.  No  light  came;  the  solitary  illuminating 
point  in  the  room  was  afforded  by  the  match  which 
Venner  held  in  his  hand. 

"There,"  Gurdon  said,  with  a  sort  of  gloomy 
triumph.  "  Doesn't  that  prove  it "?  I  suppose  that  our 
cripple  took  alarm  and  has  cleared  out  of  the  house." 

"That's  all  very  well,  but  it  is  almost  impossible 
[93] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

to  remove  the  furniture  of  a  great  place  like  this  in 
the  course  of  a  day." 

"  My  dear  chap,  I  don't  think  it  has  been  removed 
in  the  course  of  a  day.  Didn't  you  notice  just  now 
what  a  tremendous  lot  of  dust  we  stirred  up  as  we 
were  going  over  the  house?  My  theory  is  this — 
only  three  or  four  of  the  rooms  were  furnished,  and 
the  rest  of  the  house  was  closed.  When  I  made  my 
escape  last  night,  the  cripple  must  have  taken  alarm 
and  gone  away  from  here  as  speedily  as  possible. 
"What  renders  the  whole  thing  more  inexplicable  is 
the  fact  that  your  wife  could  explain  everything  if 
she  pleased.  But  after  a  check -mate  like  this,  I 
don't  see  the  slightest  reason  for  staying  here  any 
longer.  The  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  get  back 
to  my  rooms  and  discuss  the  matter  over  a  whiskey 
and  soda  and  cigar.  But,  talking  about  cigars,  will 
you  have  the  goodness  to  look  at  this  ?  " 

From  the  empty  grate  Gurdon  picked  up  a  half 
smoked  cigar  of  a  somev.4iat  peculiar  make  and 
shape. 

"I  want  you  to  notice  this  little  bit  of  evidence," 
he  said.  "This  is  the  very  cigar  that  the  cripple 
gave  me  last  night.  I  can't  say  that  I  altogether 
enjoyed  smoking  it,  but  it  was  my  tip  to  humor  him. 
I  smoked  that  much.  When  the  white  lady  came 
in  I  naturally  threw  the  end  of  the  cigar  into  the 
fireplace.  In  the  face  of  this,  I  don't  think  you  will 
accuse  me  of  dreaming." 

[94] 


MISSING 

More  than  one  cigar  was  consumed  before  Ven- 
ner  left  his  friend's  rooms,  but  even  the  inspiration 
of  tobacco  failed  to  elucidate  a  solitary  point  at 
issue.  What  had  become  of  the  cripple,  and  where 
had  he  vanished  so  mysteriously?  Gurdon  was 
still  debating  this  point  over  a  late  breakfast  the 
following  morning,  when  Venner  came  in.  His 
face  was  flushed  and  his  manner  was  excited.  He 
carried  a  copy  of  an  early  edition  of  an  evening 
paper  in  his  hand — the  edition  which  is  usually 
issued  by  most  papers  a  little  after  noon. 

"I  think  I've  discovered  something,"  he  said. 
"It  was  quite  by  accident,  but  you  will  not  fail  to 
be  interested  in  something  that  appears  in  the  Comet. 
It  alludes  to  the  disappearance  of  a  gentleman  called 
Bates,  who  seems  to  have  vanished  from  his  house 
in  Portsmouth  Square.  You  know  the  name  of  the 
Square,  of  course  ?  " 

Gurdon  pushed  his  coffee  cup  away  from  him, 
and  lighted  a  cigarette.  He  felt  that  something  of 
importance  was  coming. 

"I  suppose  I  ought  to  know  the  name  of  the 
square,"  he  said  grimly.  "Seeing  that  I  nearly 
lost  my  life  in  a  house  there  the  night  before  last. 
But  please  go  on.  I  see  you  have  something  to  tell 
me  that  is  well  worth  hearing." 

"That's  right,"  Venner  said.  "Most  of  it  is  ia 
this  paper.  It  appears  that  the  aforesaid  Mr.  Bates 
is  a  gentleman  of  retiring  disposition,  and  somewhat 
[95] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

eccentric  habits.  As  far  as  one  can  gather,  he  has 
no  friends,  but  hves  quietly  in  Portsmouth  Square, 
his  wants  being  ministered  to  by  a  body  of  servants 
who  have  been  in  his  employ  for  years.  Of  neces- 
sity, Mr.  Bates  is  a  man  of  wealth,  or  he  could  not 
possibly  live  in  a  house  the  rent  of  which  cannot  be 
less  than  five  or  six  hundred  a  year.  As  a  rule,  Mr, 
Bates  rarely  leaves  his  house,  but  last  night  he 
seems  to  have  gone  out  unattended,  and  since  then, 
he  has  not  been  seen." 

"Stop  a  moment,"  Gurdon  exclaimed  eagerly. 
*'  I  am  beginning  to  see  daylight  at  last.  What  was 
the  number  of  the  house  where  this  Bates  lived  ?  I 
mean  the  number  of  the  square." 

Venner  turned  to  his  paper,  and  ran  his  eye  down 
the  printed  column.     Then  he  smiled  as  he  spoke. 

"  The  number  of  the  house,"  he  said,  "  is  75." 

"  I  knew  it,"  Gurdon  said  excitedly.  "  I  felt 
pretty  certain  of  it.  The  man  who  has  disappeared 
lived  at  No.  75,  and  the  place  where  we  had  our  ad- 
venture, or  rather,  I  had  my  adventure,  is  No.  74. 
Now,  tell  me,  who  was  it  who  informed  the  police 
of  the  disappearance  of  Mr.  Bates  ?  Some  servant, 
I  suppose.''" 

"Of  course;  and  the  servant  goes  on  to  suggest 
that  Mr.  Bates  had  mysterious  enemies,  who  caused 
him  considerable  trouble  from  time  to  time.  But 
now  I  come  to  the  interesting  part  of  my  story.  At 
the  foot  of  the  narrative  which  is  contained  in  the 
[96] 


MISSING 

Comet,  that  I  hold  in  my  hand,  is  a  full  description 
of  Mr.  Bates." 

"  Go  on,"  Gurdon  said  breathlessly.  "  I  should 
be  little  less  than  an  idiot  if  I  did  not  know  what 
was  coming." 

"I  thought  you  would  guess,"  Venner  said.  "A 
name  like  Bates  implies  middle  age  and  respecta- 
bihty.  But  this  Bates  is  described  as  being  young 
and  exceedingly  good  looking.  Moreover,  he  is 
afflicted  with  a  kind  of  paralysis,  which  renders  his 
movements  slow  and  uncertain.  And  now  you  know 
all  about  it.  There  is  not  the  shghtest  doubt  that 
this  missing  Bates  is  no  other  than  our  interesting 
friend,  the  good-looking  cripple.  The  only  point 
which  leaves  us  in  doubt  is  the  fact  that  Mr.  Bates 
is  a  respectable  householder,  living  at  75,  Ports- 
mouth Square,  while  the  man  who  tried  to  murder 
you  entertained  you  at  No.  74,  which  house,  now,  is 
absolutely  empty.  We  need  not  discuss  that  puzzle 
at  the  present  moment,  because  there  are  more  im- 
portant things  to  occupy  our  attention.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  this  man  who  calls  himself  Bates- 
has  been  kidnapped  by  somebody.  You  will  not 
have  much  difficulty  in  guessing  the  name  of  the 
culprit." 

"I  guess  it  at  once,"  Gurdon  said.  "If  I  men- 
tion the  name  of  Mark  Fenwick,  I  think  I  have  said 
the  last  word." 

7  [97] 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  New  Phase 

There  was  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  Gurdon 
had  hit  the  mark.  As  far  as  they  could  see  at  pres- 
ent, the  man  most  likely  to  benefit  by  the  death  or 
disappearance  of  the  cripple  was  Mark  Fenwick. 
Still,  it  was  impossible  to  dismiss  the  thing  in  this 
casual  way,  nor  could  it  be  forgotten  that  the  crip- 
ple had  actually  been  present  at  the  Grand  Empire 
Hotel  on  the  night  when  the  alleged  milhonaire  re- 
ceived his  message  by  means  of  the  mummified 
finger.  Therefore,  logically  speaking,  it  was  only 
fair  to  infer  that  on  the  night  in  question  Fenwick 
had  not  been  acquainted  with  the  personality  of 
the  cripple.  Otherwise,  the  latter  would  have 
scarcely  ventured  to  show  himself  in  a  place  where 
his  experiment  had  been  brought  to  a  conclusion. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  just  possible  that  Fen- 
wick had  been  looking  for  the  cripple  for  some  time 
past.  But  all  this  was  more  or  less  in  the  air,  though 
there  was  a  great  deal  to  be  said  for  the  conclusion 
at  which  the  two  friends  had  arrived. 

"I  work  it  out  like  this,"  Venner  said,  after  a 
long,  thoughtful  pause.  "You  know  all  about  the 
[98] 


A  NEW  PHASE 

Four  Finger  Mine;  you  know  exactly  what  hap- 
pened to  the  Dutchman  Van  Fort  after  the  murder 
of  Le  Fenu.  It  will  be  fresh  in  your  recollection 
how,  by  some  mysterious  agency,  the  fingers  of  the 
Dutchman  were  conveyed  to  his  wife,  though  he 
himself  was  never  seen  again.  It  is  quite  fair  to 
infer  that  Fenwick  has  contrived  to  get  hold  of  the 
same  mine,  though  that  dangerous  property  does 
not  seem  to  have  harmed  him  as  much  as  it  did  the 
other  thief.  Still,  we  know  that  he  has  lost  all  the 
fingers  of  his  left  hand,  and  we  have  evidence  of 
the  fact  that  the  vengeance  has  been  worked  out  in 
the  same  mysterious  fashion  as  it  was  worked  out 
on  the  Dutchman.  We  know,  too,  who  is  at  the 
bottom  of  the  plot,  we  know  that  the  cripple  could 
tell  us  all  about  it  if  he  liked.  Obviously,  this  same 
cripple  is  a  deadly  enemy  of  Fenwdck's.  And,  no 
doubt,  Fenwick  has  found  out  where  to  lay  his 
hands  upon  his  man  quite  recently.  Fenwick  is  a 
clever  man,  he  is  bold  and  unscrupulous,  and  with- 
out question  he  set  to  work  at  once  to  get  the  better 
of  the  cripple.  Of  course,  this  may  be  nothing  but 
a  wrong  theory  of  mine,  and  it  may  lead  us  astray, 
but  it  is  all  I  can  see  to  work  upon  at  present." 

"  I  don't  think  you  are  very  far  wrong,"  Gurdon 
said,  "but  I  am  still  puzzled  about  the  house  in 
Portsmouth  Square." 

"  Which  house  do  you  mean  ? "'  Venner  asked. 

"The  one  in  which  my  adventure  took  place. 
[99] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

The  house  from  which  the  furniture  vanished  so 
mysteriously." 

"That  seems  to  me  capable  of  an  easy  explana- 
tion," Venner  replied.  "There  is  no  doubt  that 
the  man  called  Bates  and  the  cripple  are  one  and 
the  same  person.     You  must  admit  that." 

"Yes,  I  admit  that  freely  enough.     Go  on." 

"  Well,  this  Bates,  as  we  will  call  him,  has  a  large 
establishment  at  75,  Portsmouth  Square.  The 
house  next  door  was  empty,  possibly  it  belonged  to 
Mr.  Bates.  He  had  a  whim  for  furnishing  a  room 
or  two  in  an  empty  house,  or  perhaps  there  was 
some  more  sinister  purpose  beliind  it.  Anyway, 
after  you  had  blundered  on  the  place  and  had  taken 
your  life  in  your  hands,  it  became  necessary  for  the 
man  to  disappear  from  No.  74.  Therefore,  he  had 
that  furniture  removed  at  once.  I  daresay  if  we 
investigated  the  house  carefully  we  should  find  that 
there  was  some  means  of  communication  between 
the  two;  at  least,  that  is  the  only  explanation  I  can 
think  of." 

"You've  got  it,"  Gurdon  cried.  "I'll  wager  any 
money,  you  are  right.  But  I  am  sorry  the  man  has 
vanished  in  this  mysterious  way,  because  it  checks 
our  investigations  at  the  very  outset.  The  last 
thing  you  wanted  in  this  matter  was  police  inter- 
ference. Now  the  whole  thing  has  got  into  the 
papers,  and  the  public  are  sure  to  take  the  matter 
up.  It  is  the  very  class  of  mystery  that  the  cheap 
[100] 


A   NEW  PHASE 

press  loves  to  dwell  upon.  It  has  all  the  attributes 
of  the  cause  celebre.  Here  is  a  handsome  man, 
picturesque  looking,  a  cripple  into  the  bargain,  a 
man  leading  an  absolutely  secluded  life,  and  the 
very  last  person  in  the  world  one  would  expect  to 
have  enemies.  He  is  very  rich,  too,  and  lives  in 
one  of  the  finest  houses  in  the  West  End  of  London. 
He  disappears  in  the  most  mysterious  manner. 
Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,  within  the  next  two 
or  three  days  London  will  be  discussing  this  matter 
and  the  newspapers  will  be  full  of  it." 

"1  am  afraid  you  are  right,"  Venner  admitted; 
"  but  I  don't  see  how  we  are  going  to  gain  any  thing 
by  telling  the  police  what  we  have  found  out.  As 
you  know,  I  investigated  this  matter  solely  in  the 
interests  of  the  woman  I  love,  and  with  the  one  in- 
tention of  freeing  her  life  from  the  cloud  that  hangs 
over  it.  In  any  other  circumstances  I  would  go 
direct  to  Scotland  Yard  and  tell  them  everything  we 
know.  But  not  now.  I  think  you  will  agree  with 
me  that  we  should  go  our  own  way  and  say  nothing 
to  anybody  about  our  discovery." 

The  events  of  the  next  day  or  so  fully  verified  the 
fears  of  the  two  friends.  The  Bates  case  appealed 
powerfully  to  the  large  section  of  the  public  who 
dehght  in  crimes  of  the  mysterious  order.  Within 
a  couple  of  days  most  of  the  papers  were  devoting 
much  space  to  the  problem.  It  so  happened,  too, 
that  the  week  was  an  exceedingly  barren  one  from 
[101] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

a  news  point  of  view;  therefore,  the  Bates  case  had 
the  place  of  honor.  There  was  absolutely  no  fresh 
information,  not  a  single  line  that  pointed  to  a  defi- 
nite solution  of  the  problem.  Indeed,  the  ingenious 
way  in  which  most  of  the  papers  contrived  to  fill 
some  three  columns  a  day  was  beyond  all  praise. 
But  both  Gurdon  and  Venner  searched  in  vain  for 
a  scrap  of  information  that  threw  any  light  on  the 
identity  of  the  missing  man.  His  habits  were  de- 
scribed at  some  length,  a  tolerably  accurate  descrip- 
tion of  his  household  appeared  in  several  quarters; 
but  nothing  very  much  beyond  that.  The  missing 
man's  servants  were  exceedingly  reticent,  and  if 
they  knew  an}i;hing  whatever  about  their  master 
they  had  preferred  to  confide  it  to  the  police  in  pref- 
erence to  the  inquisitive  reporter.  Not  a  single 
relative  turned  up,  though  it  was  generally  under- 
stood that  the  missing  man  was  possessed  of  consid- 
erable property. 

It  was  on  the  third  day  that  Venner  began  to  see 
daylight.  One  of  the  evening  papers  had  come  out 
with  a  startling  letter  which  seemed  to  point  to  a 
clue,  though  it  conveyed  notliing  to  the  pohce. 
Venner  came  round  to  Gurdon's  rooms  with  a  copy 
of  the  evening  paper  in  his  hand.  He  laid  it  before 
his  friend  and  asked  him  to  read  the  letter,  which, 
though  it  contained  but  a  few  lines,  was  of  absorb- 
ing interest  to  both  of  them. 

"You  see  what  this  man  savs?"  Venner  re- 
[  102  ] 


A  NEW  PHASE 

marked.  "He  appears  to  be  a  workingman  who 
got  himself  into  trouble  over  a  drinking  bout.  Two 
days  ago  he  was  charged  before  the  magistrate  with 
being  drunk  and  disorderly,  and  was  sentenced  to 
a  fine  of  forty  shillings  or  fourteen  days'  imprison- 
ment. According  to  his  story,  the  money  was  not 
forthcoming,  therefore  he  was  taken  to  gaol.  At 
the  end  of  two  days  his  friends  contrived  to  obtain 
the  necessary  cash  and  he  was  released.  He  writes 
all  this  to  show  how  it  was  that  he  was  entirely  ig- 
norant of  the  starthng  events  which  had  taken  place 
in  the  Bates  case.  This  man  goes  on  to  say  that 
on  the  night  when  Mr.  Bates  disappeared  he  was 
passing  Portsmouth  Square  on  his  way  home  from 
some  pubhc-house  festivities.  He  was  none  too 
sober,  and  has  a  hazy  recollection  of  w^hat  he  saw. 
He  recollects  quite  clearly,  now  that  he  has  time  to 
think  the  matter  over,  seeing  a  cab  standing  at  the 
corner  of  the  Square  within  three  doors  of  No.  75. 
At  the  same  time,  a  telegraph  boy  called  at  No.  75 
with  a  message.  It  was  at  this  point  that  the  nar- 
rator of  the  story  stopped  to  light  his  pipe.  It  was 
rather  a  windy  evening,  so  that  he  used  several 
matches  in  the  process.  Anyway,  he  stood  there 
long  enough  to  see  the  telegraph  boy  deliver  his 
message  to  a  gentleman  who  appeared  to  have  great 
difficulty  in  getting  to  the  door.  No  sooner  had  the 
telegraph  boy  gone  than  the  gentleman  crept  slowly 
and  painfully  down  the  steps  and  walked  in  the  di- 
[  103  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

rection  of  the  cab.  Then  somebody  stepped  from 
the  cab  and  accosted  the  cripple,  who,  beyond  all 
question,  was  the  mysterious  Bates.  The  writer  of 
the  letter  says  that  he  heard  a  sort  of  cry,  then  some- 
one called  out  something  in  a  language  that  he  was 
unable  to  understand.  He  rather  thinks  it  was 
Portuguese,  because  among  his  fellow  workmen  is 
a  Portuguese  artisan,  and  the  language  sounded 
something  Uke  his." 

"  We  are  getting  on,"  Gurdon  said.  "  That  little 
touch  about  the  Portuguese  language  clearly  points 
to  Fen  wick." 

"Of  course,  it  does,"  Venner  went  on.  "But 
that  is  not  quite  all.  The  letter  goes  on  to  say  that 
something  hke  a  struggle  took  place,  after  which 
the  cripple  was  bundled  into  the  cab,  which  was 
driven  away.  It  was  a  four-wheeled  cab,  and  the 
peculiarity  about  it  was  that  it  had  indiarubber 
tires,  which  is  a  most  unusual  thing  for  the  typical 
growler.  The  author  of  all  this  information  says 
that  the  struggle  appeared  to  be  of  no  very  desper- 
ate nature,  for  it  was  followed  by  nothing  in  the  way 
of  a  call  for  help.  Indeed,  the  workman  who  is 
telling  all  this  seemed  to  think  that  it  was  more  or 
less  in  the  way  of  what  he  calls  a  spree.  He  said 
nothing  whatever  to  the  police  about  it,  fearing  per- 
haps that  he  himself  was  in  no  fit  state  to  tell  a  story; 
and,  besides,  there  was  just  the  possibility  that  he 
might  find  himself  figuring  before  a  magistrate  the 
[104] 


A  NEW  PHASE 

next  morning.  That  is  the  whole  of  the  letter, 
Gurdon,  which  though  it  conveys  very  little  to  the 
authorities,  is  full  of  pregnant  information  for  our- 
selves. At  any  rate,  it  tells  us  quite  clearly  that 
Fenwick  was  at  the  bottom  of  tliis  outrage." 

"Quite  right,"  Gurdon  said.  "The  little  touch 
about  the  Portuguese  language  proves  that.  Is 
there  anything  else  in  the  letter  Ukely  to  be  useful 
to  us  ?  " 

"No,  I  have  given  you  the  whole  of  it.  Person- 
ally, the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  go  and  inter\aew 
the  writer,  who  has  given  his  name  and  address.  A 
small,  but  judicious,  outlay  in  the  matter  of  beer 
will  cause  him  to  tell  us  all  we  want  to  know." 

It  was  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Docks  where  the  man  who  had  given  his  name  as 
James  Taylor  was  discovered  later  on  in  the  day. 
He  was  a  fairly  intelligent  type  of  laborer,  who  ob- 
tained a  more  or  less  precarious  livelihood  as  a 
docker.  As  a  rule,  he  worked  hard  enough  four  or 
five  hours  a  day  when  things  were  brisk,  and,  in 
slack  periods  when  money  was  scarce,  he  spent  the 
best  part  of  his  day  in  bed.  He  had  one  room  in  a 
large  tenement  house,  where  the  friends  found  him 
partially  dressed  and  reading  a  sporting  paper.  He 
was  not  disposed  to  be  communicative  at  first,  but 
the  suggestion  of  something  in  the  way  of  liquid  re- 
freshment stimulated  his  good-nature. 

"  Right  you  are,"  he  said.  "  I've  had  nothing  to- 
[105] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

day  besides  a  mouthful  of  breakfast,  and  when  I've 
paid  my  rent  I  shall  have  a  solitary  tanner  left;  but 
I  'ope  you  gents  are  not  down  here  with  a  view  of 
getting  a  poor  chap  into  trouble  ?  " 

Gurdon  hastened  to  reassure  him  on  that  head. 
He  was  balancing  a  half-sovereign  thoughtfully  on 
his  forefinger. 

"We  are  not  going  to  hurt  you  at  all,"  he  said. 
"We  want  you  to  give  us  a  little  information.  In 
proof  of  what  I  say  you  can  take  this  half-sovereign 
and  obtain  what  liquid  refreshment  you  require. 
Also,  you  can  keep  the  change.  If  you  don't  like 
my  proposal,  there  is  an  end  of  the  matter." 

"Don't  be  short,  guv' nor,"  Taylor  responded. 
"I  like  that  there  proposition  of  yours  so  well  that 
I'm  going  to  take  it;  'alf -sovereigns  ain't  so  plenti- 
ful as  all  that  comes  to.  If  you  just  wait  a  mo- 
ment, I'll  be  back  in  'alf  a  tick.  Then  I'll  tell  you 
all  you  want  to  know." 

The  man  was  back  again  presently,  and  pro- 
fessed himself  ready  to  answer  any  questions 
that  might  be  put  to  him.  His  manner  grew  just 
a  little  suspicious  as  Venner  mentioned  the  name  of 
Bates. 

"You  don't  look  like  police,"  he  said.  "Speak- 
ing personally,  I  ain't  fond  of  'em,  and  I  don't  want 
to  get  into  trouble." 

"We  have  no  connection  whatever  with  the  po- 
lice," Venner  said.  "In  fact,  we  would  rather  not 
[106] 


A  NEW  PHASE 

have  anything  to  do  with  them.  It  so  happens  that 
we  are  both  interested  in  the  gentleman  that  you 
saw  getting  into  the  cab  the  other  night.  I  have 
read  your  letter  in  the  paper,  and  I  am  quite  pre- 
pared to  believe  every  word  of  it.  The  only  thing 
we  want  to  know  is  whether  you  saw  the  man  in 
the  cab " 

"  Which  one  ?  "  Taylor  asked.  "  There  were  two 
blokes  in  the  cab." 

"This  is  very  interesting,"  Venner  murmured. 
"  I  shall  be  greatly  obliged  to  you  if  you  will  describe 
both  of  them." 

"  I  couldn't  describe  the  one,  guv'nor,"  Taylor 
replied.  "His  back  was  to  me  all  the  time,  and 
when  you  come  to  think  of  it,  I  wasn't  quite  so  clear 
in  the  head  as  I  might  have  been.  But  I  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  other  man's  face;  as  he  looked  out 
of  the  cab  the  light  of  the  lamp  shone  on  his  face. 
He'd  a  big  cloak  on,  as  far  as  I  could  judge,  with 
the  collar  turned  up  about  his  throat,  and  a  soft  hat 
on  his  head.  He  knocks  the  hat  off  looking  out 
of  the  cab  window,  then  I  see  as  'is  head  was  bald 
like  a  bloomin'  egg,  and  yellow,  same  as  if  he  had 
been  painted.  I  can't  tell  you  any  more  than  that, 
not  if  you  was  to  give  me  another  'alf-sovereign  on 
the  top  of  the  first  one." 

"Just  another  question,"  Gurdon  said.     "Then 
we  won't  bother  you  any  more.     About  what  age 
do  you  suppose  the  man  was  }  " 
[107] 


THE  IMYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Taylor  paused  thoughtfully  for  a  moment  before 
he  replied. 

"Well,  I  should  think  he  was  about  fifty-five  or 
sixty,"  he  said.  "Looked  like  some  sort  of  a 
foreigner." 

"That  will  do,  thank  you,"  Venner  said.  "We 
will  not  detain  you  any  longer.  At  the  same  time 
I  should  be  obliged  if  you  would  keep  this  informa- 
tion to  yourseK;  but,  of  course,  if  the  police  ques- 
tion you,  you  will  have  to  speak.  But  a  discreet 
silence  on  the  subject  of  this  visit  of  ours  would  be 
esteemed." 

Taylor  winked  and  nodded,  and  the  friends  de- 
parted, not  displeased  to  get  away  from  the  stuffy 
and  vitiated  atmosphere  of  Taylor's  room.  On  the 
whole,  they  were  not  dissatisfied  with  the  result  of 
their  expedition.  At  any  rate,  they  had  now  proof 
positive  of  the  fact  that  Fen  wick  was  at  the  bottom 
of  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  the  man  called 
Bates. 

"I  don't  quite  see  what  we  are  going  io  do 
next,"  Venner  said.  "So  far,  we  have  been  ex- 
ceedingly fortunate  to  find  ourselves  in  possession 
of  a  set  of  clues  which  would  be  exceedingly  val- 
uable to  the  police.  But  how  are  we  going  to  use 
these  clues  is  quite  another  matter.  What  do  you 
suggest  ?  " 

"  Keeping  a  close  eye  upon  Fenwick  at  any  rate. 
For  that  purpose  it  would  not  be  a  bad  idea  to  em- 
[108] 


A   NEW  PHASE 

ploy  a  private  inquiry  agent.     He  need  know  noth- 
ing of  what  we  are  after." 

Thereupon  it  was  decided  that  Gurdon  was  to 
dine  with  Venner  that  night  and  go  fully  into  the 
matter. 


(1109  3 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Second  Finger 

It  was,  perhaps,  fortunate  for  all  concerned  that, 
though  Venner  was  so  closely  identified  by  the 
irony  of  Fate  with  the  movements  of  Mark  Fen- 
wick,  he  was  not  known  to  the  latter  personally, 
though  they  had  been  almost  side  by  side  three 
years  previous  in  Mexico.  Therefore,  it  was  pos- 
sible for  Venner  to  get  a  table  in  the  dining-room 
quite  close  to  that  of  the  alleged  millionaire.  It 
was  all  the  more  fortunate,  as  things  subsequently 
turned  out,  that  Fenwick  had  returned  to  town  that 
afternoon  and  had  announced  his  intention  of  din- 
ing at  the  hotel  the  same  evening.  This  informa- 
tion Venner  gave  to  Gurdon  when  the  latter  turned 
up  about  half -past  seven.  Then  the  host  began  to 
outline  the  plan  of  campaign  which  he  had  carefully 
thought  out. 

"Fenwick  is  dining  over  there,"  he  said.  "He 
generally  sits  with  his  back  to  the  wall,  and  I  have 
had  our  table  so  altered  that  we  can  command  all 
his  movements.  Vera,  of  course,  will  dine  vv^ith 
him.  Naturally  enough,  she  will  act  as  if  we  were 
absolute  strangers  to  her.  That  will  be  necessary." 
[110] 


THE  SECOND  FINGER 

"Of  course,"  Gurdon  admitted.  "But  isn't  it  a 
strange  thing  that  you  should  be  an  absolute  stranger 
to  Fenwick?" 

"Well,  it  does  seem  strange  on  the  face  of  it. 
But  it  is  capable  of  the  easiest  explanation.  You 
see,  when  I  first  met  Vera,  she  was  at  school  in  a 
town  somewhere  removed  from  the  Four  Finger 
Mine.  I  saw  a  good  deal  of  her  there,  and  when 
finally  she  went  up  country,  we  were  practically 
engaged.  At  her  urgent  request  the  engagement 
was  kept  a  secret,  and  when  I  followed  to  the  Mines 
it  was  distinctly  understood  that  I  should  not  call 
at  Fenwick's  house  or  make  myself  known  to  him 
except  in  the  way  of  business.  As  it  happens,  we 
never  did  meet,  and  whenever  I  saw  Vera  it  was 
usually  by  stealth.  The  very  marriage  was  a  secret 
one,  and  you  may  charge  me  fairly  with  showing 
great  weakness  in  the  matter.  But  there,  I  have 
told  you  the  story  before,  and  you  must  make  the 
best  of  it.  On  the  whole,  I  am  glad  things  turned 
out  as  they  did,  for  now  I  can  play  my  cards  in  the 
game  against  Fenwick  without  his  even  suspecting 
that  he  has  me  for  an  opponent.  It  is  certainly  an 
advantage  in  my  favor." 

Venner  had  scarcely  ceased  speaking  before  Fen- 
wick and  Vera  appeared.  She  gave  one  timid 
glance  at  Venner;  then,  averting  her  eyes,  she 
walked  demurely  across  to  her  place  at  the  table. 
FenAvick  followed,  looking  downcast  and  moody, 
[111] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

and  altogether  unlike  a  man  who  is  supposed  to  be 
the  happy  possessor  of  millions.  His  manner  was 
curt  and  irritable,  and  he  seemed  disposed  to  find 
fault  with  everything.  Venner  noticed,  too,  that 
though  the  man  ate  very  little  he  partook  of  far  more 
champagne  than  was  good  for  anyone.  Thanks  no 
doubt  to  the  wine,  the  man's  dark  mood  lifted  pres- 
ently, and  he  began  chatting  to  Vera.  The  two 
men  at  the  other  table  appeared  to  be  deeply  inter- 
ested in  their  dinner,  though,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
they  were  listening  intently  to  every  word  that  Fen- 
wick  was  saying.  He  was  talking  glibly  enough 
now  about  some  large  house  in  the  country  which 
he  appeared  to  have  taken  for  the  winter  months. 
Vera  listened  with  polite  indifference. 

"  In  Kent,"  Fenwick  was  saying.  "  Not  very  far 
from  Canterbury.  A  fine  old  house,  filled  with 
grand  furniture,  just  the  sort  of  place  you'd  like. 
I've  made  all  arrangements,  and  the  sooner  w^e  gpt 
away  from  London  the  better  I  shall  be  pleased." 

"  It  will  be  rather  dull,  I  fear,"  Vera  replied.  "  I 
don't  suppose  that  I  shall  get  on  very  well  with 
county  people " 

"Hang  the  county  people,"  Fenwick  growled. 
*'  Who  cares  a  straw  for  them  ?  Not  but  what  they'll 
come  along  fast  enough  when  they  hear  that  Mark 
Fenwick,  the  millionaire,  is  in  their  midst.  Still, 
there  is  a  fine  park  round  the  house,  and  you'll  be 
able  to  get  as  much  riding  as  you  want." 
[112] 


THE  SECOND  FINGER 

Venner  watching  furtively  saw  that  Vera  was  in- 
terested for  the  first  time.  He  had  not  forgotten 
the  fact  that  she  was  an  exceedingly  fine  horse- 
woman; he  recollected  the  glorious  rides  they  had 
had  together.  Interested  as  he  was  in  the  mysteri- 
ous set  of  circumstances  which  had  wound  them- 
selves into  his  life,  he  was  not  without  hope  that 
this  change  would  enable  liim  to  see  more  of  Vera 
than  was  possible  in  London.  In  the  lonely  coun- 
try he  would  be  able  to  plan  meetings  with  her;  in- 
deed, he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  leave  London  as 
soon  as  Vera  had  gone.  Moreover,  in  this  instance, 
duty  and  inclination  pointed  the  same  way.  If  the 
mystery  were  to  be  solved  and  Vera  freed  from  her 
intolerable  burden,  it  would  be  essential  that  every 
movement  of  Fenwick's  should  be  carefully  watched. 
The  only  way  to  carry  out  this  plan  successfully 
WouM  be  to  follow  him  into  Kent. 

"You  heard  that.''"  he  murmured  to  Gurdon. 
*'  We  must  find  out  exactly  where  this  place  is,  and 
then  look  out  some  likely  quarters  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. I  must  contrive  to  see  Vera  and  learn  her 
new  address  before  she  goes." 

"No  reason  to  worry  about  that,"  Gurdon  said. 
*'  It  will  all  be  in  the  papers.  The  doings  of  these 
monied  men  are  chronicled  as  carefully  now  as  the 
movements  of  Royalty.  It  is  any  odds  when  you 
take  up  your  Morning  Post  in  the  morning  that  you 
will  know  not  only  exactly  where  Fenwick  is  going 
8  [113J 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

to  spend  the  winter,  but  get  an  exact  history  of  the 
house.  So  far  as  I  can  see  we  might  finish  our 
dinner  and  go  off  to  a  theatre.  We  are  not  Ukely 
to  hear  any  more  to-night,  and  all  this  mystery  and 
worry  is  beginning  to  get  on  my  nerves.  What  do 
you  say  to  an  hour  or  two  at  the  Gaiety .'' " 

Venner  pleaded  for  a  few  moments'  delay.  So 
far  as  he  was  personally  concerned  he  felt  very  un- 
like the  frivolity  of  the  typical  musical  comedy;  but 
still,  he  had  finished  his  dinner  by  tliis  time  and  was 
not  disposed  to  be  churlish.  Fenwick  had  com- 
pleted his  repast  also,  and  was  sipping  his  coffee  in 
an  amiable  frame  of  mind,  heedless  apparently  of 
business  worries  of  all  kinds. 

At  the  same  moment  a  waiter  came  into  the  room 
and  advanced  to  the  millionaire's  table  with  a  small 
parcel  in  his  hand. 

"A  letter  for  you,  sir.  An  express  letter  which 
has  just  arrived.  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  sign 
the  receipt  ?  " 

"  Confound  the  people,"  Fenwick  growled.  "  Can't 
you  leave  me  alone  for  half  an  hour  when  I  am 
having  my  dinner?  Take  the  thing  up  to  my 
room.     You  sign  it,  Vera." 

"I'll  sign  it,  of  course,"  Vera  replied.  "But 
don't  you  think  you  had  better  open  the  parcel.'' 
It  may  be  of  some  importance.  People  don't  usually 
send  express  letters  at  this  time  of  night  unless  they 
are  urgent.  Or,  shall  I  open  it  for  you .'' " 
[114] 


THE  SECOND  FINGER 

The  waiter  had  gone  by  this  time,  taking  the  re- 
ceipt for  the  letter  with  him.  With  a  gesture  Fen- 
wick  signified  to  Vera  that  she  might  open  the  par- 
cel. She  cut  the  string  and  opened  the  flat  packet, 
disclosing  a  small  object  in  tissue  paper  inside. 
This  she  handed  to  Fenwick,  who  tore  the  paper  off 
leisurely.  Then  the  silence  of  the  room  was  startled 
by  the  sound  of  an  oath  uttered  in  tones  of  intense 
fury. 

"Curse  the  thing!"  Fenwick  cried.  His  yellow 
face  was  wet  and  ghastly  now.  The  big  purple 
veins  stood  out  like  cords  on  his  forehead.  "Am  I 
never  to  be  free  from  the  terror  of  this  mystery  ? 
Wliere  did  it  come  from  ?  How  could  it  be  possible 
when  the  very  man  I  have  most  reason  to  dread  is 
no  longer  in  a  position " 

The  speaker  broke  off  suddenly,  as  if  conscious 
that  he  was  betraying  himself.  The  httle  object  in 
the  tissue  paper  lay  on  the  table  in  such  a  position 
that  it  was  impossible  for  Venner  or  Gurdon  to  see 
what  it  was,  but  they  could  give  a  pretty  shrewd 
guess.     Venner  looked  inquiringly  at  his  friend. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  suppose  it  is  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Personally,  I  have  no  doubt  whatever  as  to 
what  it  is,"  Gurdon  said.  "I  am  as  sure  as  if  I 
held  the  thing  in  my  hand  at  the  present  moment. 
It  is  the  second  finger  which  at  some  time  or  an- 
other was  attached  to  Fenwick's  hand." 

"You've  got  it,"  Venner  said.  "Upon  my  word, 
[115] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

the  farther  we  go  with  this  thing  the  more  compH- 
cated  it  becomes.  No  sooner  do  we  clear  up  one 
point  than  a  dozen  fresh  ones  arrive.  Now,  is  not 
this  amazing?  We  know  perfectly  well  that  the 
man  whom  we  have  to  call  Bates  has  been  kidnapped 
by  our  interesting  friend  opposite,  and  yet  here  the 
second  warning  arrives  just  as  if  Bates  were  still 
free  to  carry  out  his  vengeance.  What  can  one 
make  of  it.'*" 

"W^ell,  the  logical  conclusion  is  that  Bates  has 
an  accomplice.  I  fail  to  see  any  other  way  of 
accounting  for  it." 

Fenwick  still  sat  there  mopping  his  heate4  face 
and  turning  a  disgusted  eye  upon  the  little  object 
on  the  table.  He  seemed  to  be  terribly  distressed 
and  upset,  though  there  was  nothing  like  the  scene 
on  the  previous  occasion,  and,  doubtless,  few  diners 
besides  Venner  and  Gurdon  knew  that  anything 
out  of  the  common  was  taking  place  there.  But 
they  were  watching  everything  carefully ;  they  noted 
Fenwick's  anxious  face,  they  could  hear  his  sterto- 
rous breathing.  Though  he  had  dined  so  freely  he 
called  for  brandy  now,  a  large  glass  of  which  he 
drank  without  any  addition  whatever.  Then  his 
agitation  became  less  uncontrollable  and  a  little 
natural  color  crept  into  his  cheeks.  Without 
glancing  at  it  he  slipped  the  little  object  on  the 
table  into  his  pocket  and  rose  more  or  less  unsteadily 
to  his  feet. 

[116] 


THE  SECOND  FINGER 

"I  have  had  a  shock,"  he  muttered.  "I  don't 
deny  that  I  have  had  a  terrible  shock.  You  don't 
understand  it,  Vera,  and  I  hope  you  never  will. 
I  wish  I  had  never  touched  that  accursed  mine. 
I  wish  it  had  been  fathoms  under  the  sea  before  I 
heard  of  it,  but  the  mischief  has  been  done  now, 
and  I  shall  have  to  go  on  to  the  end.  You  can  stay 
here  if  you  Uke — as  to  me,  I  am  going  to  my  own 
room.  I  want  to  be  alone  for  a  bit  and  think  this 
matter  out." 

Fenwick  lurched  across  the  room  with  the  air 
of  a  man  who  is  more  or  less  intoxicated,  though  his 
head  was  clear  enough  and  his  faculties  undimmed. 
Still,  his  hmbs  were  trembling  under  him  and  he 
groped  his  way  to  the  door  with  the  aid  of  a  table 
here  and  there.  It  was  perhaps  rather  a  risky  thing 
to  do,  but  Venner  immediately  crossed  over  and 
took  the  seat  vacated  so  recently  by  Fenwick. 
Vera  welcomed  him  shyly,  but  it  was  palpable  that 
she  was  ill  at  ease.  She  would  have  risen  had  not 
Venner  detained  her. 

"Don't  you  think  you  are  very  imprudent.'" 
she  said.  "Suppose  he  should  change  his  mind 
and  come  back  here  again  .'^" 

"I  don't  think  there  is  much  chance  of  that," 
Venner  said,  grimly.  "Fenwick  will  only  be  too 
glad  to  be  by  himself  for  a  bit.  But  tell  me,  dear, 
what  was  it  that  gave  him  such  a  shock  ?  " 

"I  don't  understand  it  at  all,"  Vera  said.  "It 
[117] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

was  something  to  do  with  that  dreadful  mine  and 
the  vengeance  connected  with  it.  This  is  the  second 
time  the  same  thing  has  happened  within  the  last 
few  days,  and  I  fear  that  it  will  culminate  sooner 
or  later  in  some  fearful  tragedy.  I  have  some  hazy 
idea  of  the  old  legend,  but  I  have  almost  forgotten 
what  it  is." 

"  I  don't  think  you  need  worry  about  that,'* 
Venner  said.  "Though  it  will  have  to  be  spoken 
of  again  when  the  whole  tiling  is  cleared  up;  but 
now  I  wish  to  talk  to  you  on  more  personal  matters. 
Did  I  not  understand  Fenwick  to  say  to-night  that 
he  was  taking  a  large  house  somewhere  in  Kent  ?  " 

"That  is  his  intention,  I  believe,"  Vera  replied. 
"I  understand  it  is  a  large,  dull  place  in  the  heart 
of  the  country.  Personally  I  am  not  looking  for- 
ward to  it  with  the  least  pleasure.  Things  are  bad 
enough  here  in  London,  but  there  is  always  the  com- 
fortable feeling  that  one  is  protected  here,  whereas 
in  a  lonely  neighborhood  the  feeling  of  helplessness 
grows  very  strong." 

"You  are  not  likely  to  be  lonely  or  neglected," 
Venner  smiled.  "As  soon  as  I  have  definitely  as- 
certained where  you  are  going,  Gurdon  and  myself 
will  follow.  It  is  quite  necessary  that  we  should 
be  somewhere  near  you;  but,  of  course,  if  you 
object—" 

But  Vera  was  not  objecting.  Her  face  flushed 
with  a  sudden  happiness.  The  knowledge  that 
[118] 


THE  SECOND  FINGER 

the  man  she  loved  was  going  to  be  so  near  her  filled 
her  with  a  sense  of  comfort. 

"Don't  you  think  it  will  be  dangerous?"  she 
asked. 

*'  Not  in  the  least,"  Venner  said.  "  Don't  forget 
that  I  am  a  stranger  to  Mark  Fenwick,  which  re- 
mark applies  with  equal  force  to  Gurdon.  And 
if  we  take  a  fancy  to  spend  a  month  or  two  hunting 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Canterbury,  surely  there  is 
nothing  suspicious  in  that.  I  am  looking  forward 
to  the  hunting  as  a  means  whereby  we  may  manage 
to  get  some  long  rides  together.  And  even  if  Fen- 
wick does  find  it  out,  it  will  be  easy  to  explain  to 
him  that  you  made  my  acquaintance  on  the  field 
of    sport." 

"  I  am  glad  to  near  you  say  that,"  Vera  whispered. 
**  I  may  be  wrong,  of  course,  but  I  feel  that  strange 
things  are  going  to  happen,  and  that  I  shall  need 
your  presence  to  give  me  courage." 

Vera  might  have  said  more,  but  a  waiter  came 
into  the  room  at  the  same  moment  with  an  intima- 
tion to  the  effect  that  Mr.  Fenwick  desired  to  speak 
to  her.  She  flitted  away  now,  and  there  was  nothing 
for  it  but  for  Venner  to  fall  in  with  Gurdon's  sug- 
gestion  of  a  visit  to  the  theatre. 

It  was  not  long  after  breakfast  on  the  following 
morning  that  Venner  walked  into  Gurdon's  rooms 
■with  a  new  proposal. 

"I  have  been  thinking  out  this  confounded 
[119] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

thing,"  he  said.  "I  have  an  idea;  as  you  know, 
the  house  where  you  had  your  adventure  the  other 
night  is  empty,  it  has  occurred  to  me  that  perhaps 
it  may  be  to  let.  If  so,  we  are  going  to  call  upon 
the  agent  in  the  characters  of  prospective  tenants. 
What  I  want  to  do  is  to  ascertain  if  possible  the  name 
of  the  owner  of  the  premises." 

"I  see,"  Gurdon  said  thoughtfully.  "I  am 
ready  for  you  now." 

It  was  some  little  time  before  the  friends  got  on 
the  right  track,  but  they  found  the  right  man  at 
length.  The  agent  was  not  quite  sure  whether  he 
was  in  a  position  at  present  to  make  any  definite 
arrangements  on  the  part  of  the  owner. 

"  I  presume  he  wants  to  let  the  house,"  he  said, 
"though  I  have  no  instructions,  and  it  is  some 
considerable  time  since  I  have  heard  from  my  client. 
You  see,  he  lives  abroad." 

"Can't  you  give  us  his  address,"  Venner  asked, 
"and  let  us  write  to  him  direct.^  It  would  save 
time." 

"That  I  fear  is  equally  impossible,"  the  agent 
explained.  "My  client  wanders  about  from  place 
to  place,  and  I  haven't  the  remotest  idea  where  to 
find  him.     However,  I'll  do  my  best." 

"  You  might  tell  us  his  name,"  Venner  said. 

"Certainly.     His  name  is  Mr.  Le  Fenu." 

"What  do  you  make  of  it?"  Venner  said,  when 
once  more  he  and  Gurdon  were  in  the  street.  "I 
[120] 


THE  SECOND  FINGER 

see  you  have  forgotten  what  the  name  of  Le  Fenu 
impHes.  Don't  you  remember  my  telUng  you  that 
the  original  owner  of  the  Four  Finger  Mine  who 
was  murdered  by  the  Dutchman,  Van  Fort,  was  call- 
ed Le  Fenu?" 


[1211 


CHAPTER  XI 

An  Unexpected  Move 

On  the  whole  the  discovery  was  startling  enough. 
It  proved  to  demonstration  that  the  man  who  called 
himself  Bates  must  have  been  in  some  way  connected 
with  the  one-time  unfortunate  owner  of  the  Four 
Finger  Mine.  There  was  very  little  said  as  the  two 
friends  walked  down  the  street  together.  Venner 
paused  presently,  and  stood  as  if  an  idea  had  oc- 
curred to  him. 

"I  have  a  notion  that  something  will  come  of 
this,"  he  said.  "  I  had  a  great  mind  to  go  back  to 
the  agent's  and  try  to  get  the  key  of  the  empty  house 
under  some  pretext  or  another," 

*'  What  do  you  want  it  for  ?  "  Gurdon  asked. 

"I  am  not  sure  that  I  want  it  for  anything," 
Venner  admitted.  "  I  have  a  vague  idea,  a  shadowy 
theory,  that  I  am  on  the  right  track  at  last,  but  I 
may  be  wrong,  especially  as  I  am  dealing  with  so  un- 
scrupulous an  opponent  as  Fenwick.  All  the  same, 
I  think  I'll  step  round  to  that  agent's  oflSce  this 
afternoon  and  get  the  key.  Sooner  or  later,  I  shall 
want  a  town  house,  and  I  don't  see  why  that  Ports- 
mouth Square  place  shouldn't  suit  me  very  well." 
[  122  ] 


AN   UNEXPECTED   MOVE 

Venner  was  true  to  his  intention,  and  later  in  the 
afternoon  was  once  more  closeted  with  the  house- 
agent. 

"Do  you  really  want  to  let  the  place?"  he 
asked. 

"Well,  upon  my  word,  sir,  I'm  not  quite 
sure,"  the  agent  replied.  "As  I  said  before,  it  is 
such  a  difficult  matter  to  get  in  contact  with  the 
owner." 

"  But  unless  he  wanted  to  let  it,  why  did  he  put 
it  in  your  hands  ?  "  Venner  asked.  "  Still,  you  can 
try  to  communicate  with  him,  and  it  will  save  time 
if  you  let  me  have  the  keys  to  take  measurements 
and  get  estimates  for  the  decorating,  and  so  on.  I 
will  give  you  any  references  you  require." 

"  Oh,  there  can  be  no  objection  to  that,"  the  agent 
replied.  "Yes,  you  can  have  the  keys  now,  if  you 
like.  You  are  not  in  the  least  likely  to  run  away  with 
the  place." 

Venner  departed  with  the  keys  in  his  possession, 
and  made  his  way  back  to  the  hotel.  He  had  hardly 
reached  his  own  room  before  a  waiter  came  in  with  a 
note  for  him.  It  was  from  Vera,  with  an  urgent 
request  that  Venner  would  see  her  at  once,  and  the 
intimation  that  there  would  be  no  danger  in  his  jjo- 
ing  up  to  the  suite  of  rooms  occupied  by  Mark  Fen- 
wick.  Venner  lost  no  time  in  answering  this  mes- 
sage. He  felt  vaguely  uneasy  and  alarmed.  Surely, 
there  must  be  something  wrong,  or  Vera  would  not 
[123] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

have  sent  for  him  in  this  sudden  manner.  He  could 
not  quite  see,  either,  how  it  was  that  he  could  call 
at  Fenwick's  rooms  without  risk.  However,  he 
hesitated  no  longer,  but  knocked  at  the  outer  door 
of  the  self-contained  rooms,  which  summons  was 
presently  answered  by  Vera  herself. 

"You  can  come  in,"  she  said.  "I  am  absolutely 
alone.  Mr.  Fenwick  has  gone  off  in  a  great  hurry 
with  all  his  assistants,  and  my  own  maid  will  not  be 
back  for  some  little  time." 

"  But  is  there  no  chance  of  Fenwick  coming  back .''" 
Venner  asked.  "  If  he  caught  me  here,  all  my  plans 
would  be  ruined.  My  dear  girl,  why  don't  you 
leave  him  and  come  to  me  ?  I  declare  it  makes  me 
miserable  to  know  that  you  are  constantly  in  contact 
with  such  a  man  as  that.  It  isn't  as  if  you  were  any 
relation  to  him." 

"Thank  goodness,  I  am  no  relation  at  all," 
Vera  replied.  "It  is  not  for  my  own  sake  that  I 
endure  all  this  humiliation." 

"Then,  why  endure  it.''"  Venner  urged. 

"Because  I  cannot  help  myself.  Because  there 
is  someone  else  whom  I  have  to  look  after  and  shield 
from  harm.  Some  day  you  will  know  the  whole 
truth,  but  not  yet,  because  my  lips  are  sealed.  But 
I  did  not  bring  you  here  to  talk  about  myself.  There 
are  other  and  more  urgent  matters.  I  am  perfectly 
sure  that  something  very  wrong  is  going  on  here. 
Not  long  after  breakfast  this  morning,  Mr.  Fenwick 
[124] 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MOVE 

was  sitting  here  reading  the  paper,  when  he  suddenly 
rose  in  a  state  of  great  agitation  and  began  sending 
telegrams  right  and  left.  I  am  certain  that  there 
was  terribly  distm-bing  inteUigence  in  that  paper; 
but  what  it  was,  I,  of  course,  cannot  say.  I  have 
looked  everywhere  for  a  clue  and  all  in  vain.  No 
sooner  were  the  telegrams  dispatched  than  the  three 
or  four  men  here,  whom  Mr.  Fenwick  calls  liis  clerks, 
gathered  all  his  papers  and  things  together  and  sent 
them  ojff  by  express  vans.  Mr.  Fenwick  told  me 
that  everything  was  going  to  the  place  that  he  had 
taken  at  Canterbury,  but  I  don't  believe  that,  be- 
cause none  of  the  boxes  were  labelled.  Anyway, 
they  have  all  gone,  and  I  am  instructed  to  remain 
here  until  I  hear  from  Mr.  Fenwick  again.  " 

Venner  began  to  understand;  in  the  light  of  his 
superior  knowledge  it  was  plain  to  him  that  these 
men  had  been  interrupted  in  some  work,  and  that 
they  feared  the  grip  of  the  law.  He  expressed  a 
wish  to  see  the  paper  which  had  been  the  cause  of 
all  the  trouble.  The  news-sheet  lay  on  the  floor 
where  Fenwick  had  thrown  it,  and  Venner  took  it 
up  in  his  hands. 

"This   has   not   been   disturbed?"    he    asked. 

"No,"  Vera  replied.  "I  thought  it  best  not 
to.  I  have  looked  at  both  sides  of  the  paper  my- 
self, but  I  have  not  turned  over  a  leaf.  You  see, 
it  must  have  been  on  one  side  or  another  of  this 
sheet  that  the  disturbing  news  appeared,  and  that 
[  125  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

is  why  I  have  not  looked  further.  Perhaps  you  will 
be  able  to  pick  out  the  particular  paragraph  ?  There 
is  plenty  of  time." 

Very  carefully  Venner  scanned  the  columns  of 
the  paper.  He  came  at  length  to  something  that 
seemed  to  him  to  bear  upon  the  sudden  change  of 
plans  which  appeared  to  have  been  forced  upon 
Fenwick.  The  paragraph  in  question  was  not  a 
long  one,  and  emanated  from  the  New  York  corre- 
spondent of  the  Daily  Herald. 

"We  are  informed,"  the  paragraph  ran,  "that 
the  police  here  believe  that  at  length  they  are  on 
the  track  of  the  clever  gang  of  international  swindlers 
who  were  so  successful  in  their  bank  forgeries  two 
years  ago.  Naturally  enough,  the  authorities  are 
very  reticent  as  to  names  and  other  details,  but  they 
declare  that  they  have  made  a  discovery  which  em- 
braces what  is  practically  a  new  crime,  or,  at  any 
rate,  a  very  ingenious  variant  upon  an  old  one.  As 
far  as  we  can  understand,  the  police  were  first  put  on 
the  track  by  the  discovery  of  the  fact  that  the  head 
of  the  gang  had  recently  transported  some  boxes 
of  gold  dust  to  London.  Quite  by  accident  this 
discovery  was  made,  and,  at  first,  the  police  were 
under  the  impression  that  the  gold  had  been  stolen. 
When,  however,  they  had  proved  beyond  the  shadow 
of  a  doubt  that  the  gold  in  question  was  honestly 
the  property  of  the  gang,  they  naturally  began  to 
ask  themselves  what  it  was  intended  for.  As  the 
[126] 


AN   UNEXPECTED   MOVE 

metal  could  be  so  easily  transferred  into  cash,  what 
was  the  object  of  the  gang  in  taking  the  gold  to 
Europe?  This  question  the  Head  of  the  Criminal 
Investigation  Department  feels  quite  sure  that  he 
has  successfully  solved.  The  public  may  look  for 
startling  developments  before  long.  Meanwhile, 
two  of  the  smartest  detectives  in  New  York  are  on 
their  way  to  Europe,  and  are  expected  to  reach  Liver- 
pool by  the  Lusitania  to-day." 

"  There  is  the  source  of  the  trouble,"  Venner 
said.  "  I  hardly  care  about  telling  you  how  I  know, 
because  the  less  information  you  have  on  this  head 
the  better.  And  I  don't  want  your  face  to  betray 
you  to  the  sharp  eyes  of  Mark  Fenwick.  But  I  am 
absolutely  certain  that  that  paragraph  is  the  source 
of  all  the  mischief." 

"  I  daresay  it  is,"  Vera  sighed.  "  I  feel  so  terribly 
lonely  and  frightened  sometimes,  so  afraid  of  some- 
thing terrible  happening,  that  I  feel  inclined  to  run 
away  and  hide  myself.  What  shall  I  do  now,  though 
I  am  afraid  you  cannot  help  me  ?  " 

"I  can  help  you  in  a  way  you  Uttle  dream  of," 
Venner  said  through  his  teeth.  "For  the  present, 
at  any  rate,  you  had  better  do  exactly  as  Fenwick 
tells  you.  I  am  not  going  to  leave  you  here  all  alone, 
when  we  have  a  chance  like  this ;  after  dinner,  I  am 
going  to  take  you  to  a  theatre.  Meanwhile,  I  must 
leave  you  now,  as  I  have  much  work  to  do,  and  there 
is  no  time  to  be  lost.  It  will  be  no  fault  of  mine 
[127] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

if  you  are  not  absolutely  free  from  Mark  Fenwick 
before  many  days  have  passed." 

Venner  sat  alone  at  dinner,  keeping  a  critical  eye 
open  for  whatever  might  be  going  on  around  him. 
He  had  made  one  or  two  little  calculations  as  to  time 
and  distance,  and,  unless  his  arithmetic  was  very  far 
out,  he  expected  to  learn  something  useful  before 
midnight. 

The  meal  had  not  proceeded  very  far  when  two 
strangers  came  in  and  took  their  places  at  a  table 
close  by.  They  were  in  evening  dress  and  appeared 
to  be  absolutely  at  home,  yet,  in  some  subtle  way, 
they  differed  materially  from  the  other  diners  about 
them.  On  the  whole,  they  might  have  passed  for 
two  mining  engineers  who  had  just  touched  ci\'ilisa- 
tion  after  a  long  lapse  of  time.  Venner  noticed  that 
they  both  ate  and  drank  sparingly,  and  that  they 
seemed  to  get  through  their  dinner  as  speedily  as 
possible.  They  went  off  to  the  lounge  presently 
to  smoke  over  their  coffee,  and  Venner  followed  them. 
He  dropped  into  a  seat  by  their  side. 

"  You  have  forgotten  me,  Mr.  Egan,"  he  said  to  the 
smaller  man  of  the  two.  "  Don't  you  remember  that 
night  on  the  Bowery  when  I  was  fortunate  enough  to 
help  you  to  lay  hands  on  the  notorious  James  Daley  ? 
You  were  in  rather  a  tight  place,  I  remember." 

"Bless  me,  if  it  isn't  Mr.  Venner,"  the  other 
cried.  "  This  is  my  friend,  Grady.  I  daresay  you 
have  heard  of  him." 

[128  3 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MOVE 

"Of  course  I  have,"  Venner  replied.  "Mr. 
Grady  is  quite  as  celebrated  in  his  way  as  you  are 
yourself.  But  you  see,  there  was  a  time  when  I 
took  a  keen  interest  in  crime  and  criminals,  and  some 
of  my  experiences  in  New  York  would  make  a  re- 
spectable volume.  When  I  heard  that  you  were 
coming  over  here " 

"  You  heard  we  were  coming  here  ? "  Egan  ex- 
claimed. "  I  should  very  much  like  to  know 
how  you  heard  that." 

"Oh,  you  needn't  be  alarmed,"  Venner  laughed. 
"  Nobody  has  betrayed  your  secret  mission  to  Europe, 
though,  strangely  enough,  I  fancy  I  shall  be  in  a 
position  to  give  you  some  considerable  assistance.  I 
happened  to  see  a  paragraph  in  the  Herald  to-day 
alluding  to  a  mysterious  gang  of  swindlers  who  had 
hit  upon  a  novel  form  of  crime — something  to  do 
with  gold  dust,  I  believe  it  was.  At  the  end  of  the 
paragraph  it  stated  that  two  of  the  smartest  detectives 
in  the  New  York  Force  were  coming  over  here,  and, 
therefore,  it  was  quite  fair  to  infer  that  you  might  be 
one  of  them.  In  any  case,  if  you  had  not  been,  I 
could  have  introduced  myself  to  your  colleagues  and 
used  your  name." 

Egan  looked  relieved,  but  he  said  nothing. 

"You   are  quite   right   to   be   reticent,"   Venner 
said.     "But,  as  I  remarked  before,  I  think  I  can 
help  you  in  this  business.     You  hoped  to  lay  hands 
on  the  man  you  wanted  in  this  hotel." 
9  [ 129  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"  I  quite  see  you  know  something,"  Egan  replied. 
"As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  are  a  long  way  at  present 
from  being  in  a  position  to  lay  hands  on  our  man 
with  a  reasonable  hope  of  convicting  him.  There 
will  be  a  great  deal  of  watching  to  do  first,  and  a  lot 
of  delicate  detective  work.  That  is  the  worst  of 
these  confounded  newspapers.  How  that  para- 
graph got  into  the  Herald,  I  don't  know,  but  it  is 
going  to  cause  Grady  and  myself  a  great  deal  of 
trouble.  To  be  quite  candid,  we  did  expect  to  find 
our  man  here,  but  when  he  had  vanished  as  he  did, 
just  before  we  arrived,  I  knew  at  once  that  some- 
body must  have  been  giving  him  information." 

"Do  I  know  the  name  of  the  man.^"  Venner 
asked. 

"If  you  Qon't,  I  certainly  can't  tell  you,"  Egan 
said.  "One  has  to  be  cautious,  even  with  so  dis- 
creet a  gentleman  as  yourself." 

"That's  very  well,"  Venner  sa.d.  "But  it  so 
happens  that  I  am  just  as  much  interested  in  this  in- 
dividual as  yourself.  Now  let  me  describe  him. 
He  is  short  and  stout,  he  is  between  fifty  and  sixty 
years  of  age,  he  has  beady  black  eyes,  and  a  little 
hooked  nose  like  a  parrot.  Also,  he  has  an  enor- 
mous bald  head,  and  his  coloring  is  strongly  Hke 
that  of  a  yellow  tomato.  If  I  am  mistaken,  then  I 
have  no  further  interest  in  the  matter," 

"Oh,  you're  not  mistaken,"  Egan  said.  "That 
is  our  man  right  enough.  But  tell  me,  sir,  do  you 
[130] 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MOVE 

happen  to  know  what  his  particular  hne  is  just  at 
present  ? " 

" I  have  a  pretty  good  idea,"  Venner  said;  "  but  I 
am  not  quite  sure  as  yet.  I  liave  been  making  a  few 
inquiries,  and  they  all  tend  to  confirm  my  theory,  but 
I  am  afraid  1  cannot  stay  here  discussing  the  matter 
any  longer,  as  I  have  an  important  appointment 
elsewhere.  Do  you  propose  to  stay  at  the  Empire 
Hotel  for  any  time.'*" 

Egan  replied  that  it  all  depended  upon  circum- 
stances. They  were  in  no  way  pressed  for  time,  and 
as  they  were  there  on  State  business  they  were  not 
limited  as  to  expenses.  With  a  remark  to  the  effect 
that  the}'  might  meet  again  later  on  in  the  evening, 
Venner  went  on  his  way  and  stood  waiting  for  Vera 
at  the  foot  of  the  stairs.  She  came  down  presently, 
and  they  entered  a  cab  together. 

"We  won't  go  to  a  theatre  at  all,"  Venner  said. 
"We  will  try  one  of  the  music  halls,  and  we  shall 
be  able  to  talk  better  there ;  if  we  have  a  box  we  shall 
be  quite  secure  from  observation." 

"It  is  all  the  same  to  me,"  Vera  smiled.  "I 
care  very  little  where  I  go  so  long  as  we  are  together. 
How  strange  it  is  that  you  should  have  turned  up 
in  this  extraordinary  way!" 

"There  is  nothing  strange  about  it  at  all,"  Venner 

said.     "  It  is  only  Fate  making  for  the  undoing  of  the 

criminal.     It   may   be  an   old-fashioned   theory   of 

mine,  but  justice  alwavs  overtakes  the  rogue  sooner 

\  131  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

or  later,  and  Fenwick's  time  is  coming.  I  have  been 
the  instrument  chosen  to  bring  about  his  downfall, 
and  save  you  from  your  terrible  position.  If  you 
would  only  confide  in  me " 

" But  I  can't,  dear,"  Vera  said.  "There  is  some- 
body else.  If  it  were  not  for  that  somebody  else, 
I  could  end  my  troubles  to-morrow.  But  don't 
let  us  talk  about  it.  Let  us  have  two  delightful 
hours  together  and  thank  Providence  for  the  oppor- 
tunity." 

The  time  passed  all  too  quickly  in  the  dim  se- 
clusion of  one  of  the  boxes;  indeed,  Vera  sat  up 
with  a  start  when  the  orchestra  began  to  play  the 
National  Anthem.  It  seemed  impossible  that  the 
hour  was  close  upon  twelve.  As  to  the  performance 
itself.  Vera  could  have  said  very  little.  She  had 
been  far  too  engrossed  in  her  companion  to  heed 
what  was  taking  place  upon  the  stage. 

"Come  along,"  Venner  said.  "It  has  been  a 
delightful  time,  but  all  too  brief.  I  am  going  to 
put  you  in  a  cab  and  send  you  back  to  the  hotel,  as 
I  have  to  go  and  see  Gurdon." 

Vera  made  no  demur  to  this  arrangement,  and 
presently  was  being  conveyed  back  to  the  hotel, 
while  Venner  thoughtfully  walked  down  the  street. 
Late  as  it  was,  the  usual  crop  of  hoarse  yelling  news- 
boys were  ranging  the  pavement  and  forcing  their 
wares  on  the  unwilling  passers-by. 

"Here  you  are,  sir.  'Late  Special.'  StartUng 
[  132  ] 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MOVE 

development    of    the    Bates    Case.     The    mystery 
solved." 

"I'll  take  one  of  those,"  Venner  said.  "Here's 
sixpence  for  you,  and  you  can  keep  the  change. 
Call  me  that  cab  there." 


'^ 


[133] 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  House  Next  Door 

Venner  lost  no  time  in  reaching  the  rooms  of  his 
friend  Gurdon,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  find 
the  latter  at  home.  He  was  hard  at  work  on  some 
literary  matter,  but  he  pushed  his  manuscript  aside 
as  Venner  came  excitedly  into  the  room. 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  he  asked.  "Anything 
fresh?  But  your  face  answers  that  question. 
Have  you  found  Bates  ?  " 

"No,  I  haven't,"  Venner  said;  "but  he  seems 
to  have  been  discovered.  I  bought  this  paper  just 
now  in  Piccadilly,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  look 
at  it  yet.  It  is  stated  here  that  the  mystery  has  been 
solved." 

"Hand  it  over,"  Gurdon  cried  excitedly.  "Let's 
see  if  we  can  find  it.  Ah!  here  we  are.  The  Press 
Association  has  just  received  a  letter  which  appears 
to  come  from  Mr.  Bates  himself.  He  says  he  is 
very  much  annoyed  at  all  this  fuss  and  bother  in 
the  papers,  about  his  so-called  kidnapping.  He 
goes  on  to  say  that  he  was  called  to  the  Continent 
by  pressing  business,  and  that  he  had  not  even  time 
to  tell  his  servants  he  was  going,  as  it  was  impera- 
[134] 


THE  HOUSE  NEXT   DOOR 

lively  necessary  that  he  should  catch  the  midnight 
boat  to  Dieppe.  The  correspondent  of  the  Press 
Association  says  that  Mr,  Bates  has  been  inter- 
viewed by  a  foreign  journalist,  who  is  absolutely 
certain  as  to  his  identity.  Moreover,  an  official 
has  called  at  IVIr.  Bates'  residence  and  found  that 
his  servants  have  had  a  letter  from  their  master 
instructing  them  to  join  him  at  once,  as  he  has  let 
his  house  furnished  for  the  next  two  months.  Well, 
my  dear  man,  that  seems  to  be  very  satisfactory, 
and  effectually  disposes  of  the  idea  that  Mr.  Bates 
has  been  mysteriously  kidnapped.  I  am  rather 
sorry  for  this  in  a  way,  because  it  upsets  all  our 
theories  and  makes  it  necessary  to  begin  our  task 
all  over  again." 

"I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it,"  Venner  said. 
"I  believe  it's  a  gigantic  bluflF.  I  was  coming  to 
see  you  to-night  in  any  case,  but  after  buying  that 
paper  I  came  on  here  post  haste.  Now  that  story 
of  the  Press  Association  strikes  me  as  being  decided- 
ly thin.  Here  is  a  man  living  comfortably  at  home 
w^ho  suddenly  disappears  in  a  most  mysterious  man- 
ner, and  nothing  is  heard  of  him  for  some  time. 
Directly  the  public  began  to  regard  it  as  a  fascinat- 
ing mystery  and  the  miscreants  realising  what  a 
storm  they  were  likely  to  stir  up,  the  man  himself 
writes  and  says  that  it  is  all  a  mistake.  Now,  if 
he  had  come  back  and  shown  himself,  it  would  have 
been  quite  another  matter.  Instead  of  doing  that, 
[  13.5  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

he  writes  a  letter  from  abroad,  or  sends  a  telegram 
or  something  of  that  kind,  saying  that  he  has  been 
called  away  on  urgent  business.  That  might  pass 
easily  enough,  but  mark  what  follows.  He  writes 
to  his  servants  asking  them  to  join  him  at  once  in 
some  foreign  town  because  he  has  let  his  house 
for  two  months,  and  the  new  tenant  wishes  to  get 
in  without  delay.  Did  ever  anybody  hear  anything 
so  preposterous  "^  Just  as  if  a  man  would  let  a  house 
in  that  break-neck  fashion  without  giving  his  ser- 
vants due  warning.  The  thing  is  not  to  be  thought 
of." 

"Then  you  think  the  servants  have  been  lured 
away  on  a  fools'  errand  "^ "  Gurdon  asked.  "  You 
don't  tliink  there  is  anybody  in  the  house  "^  " 

"Oh,  yes,  I  do,"  Venner  said  drily.  "I  have 
a  very  strong  opinion  that  there  are  people  in  the 
house,  and  I  also  have  a  pretty  shrewd  idea  as  to 
who  they  are.  It  happens,  also,  that  I  am  in  a 
position  to  test  my  theory  without  delay." 

"How  do  you  propose  to  do  that.''"  Gurdon 
asked. 

"  Quite  easily.  After  I  left  you  this  afternoon 
I  went  back  to  the  agent  and  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing possession  of  the  keys  of  the  empty  house  in 
Portsmouth  Square.  My  excuse  was  that  I  wanted 
to  go  into  detail  and  to  take  measurements  and  the 
like.  I  need  not  remind  you  that  Bates'  house  is 
next  door  to  the  empty  one.  In  fact,  there  is  no 
[  136  ] 


THE  HOUSE  NEXT  DOOR 

question  that  both  houses  belong  to  the  same  person. 
You  will  remember,  also,  the  mysterious  way  in 
which  that  furniture  vanished  from  the  scene  of 
your  adventure." 

"I  remember,"  Gurdon  said  grimly.  "But 
all  the  same  I  don't  quite  see  what  you  are  driving 
at- 

"The  thing  is  quite  plain.  That  furniture  did 
not  vanish  through  the  prosaic  medium  of  a  van, 
nor  was  it  carted  through  the  front  door  from  one 
house  to  the  other.  The  two  houses  communi- 
cated in  some  way,  and  it  will  be  our  business  to 
find  the  door.  As  I  have  the  keys  and  every  legiti- 
mate excuse  for  being  on  the  premises,  we  can 
proceed  to  make  our  investigations  without  the 
slightest  secrecy,  and  without  the  least  fear  of 
awkward  questions  being  asked.  Now  do  you 
follow  me?" 

"  I  follow  you  fast  enough.  I  suppose  your  game 
is  to  try  and  get  into  the  next  house  by  means  of 
the  door  .5^" 

"You  have  hit  it  exactly,"  Venner  said.  "That 
is  precisely  what  I  mean  to  do.  We  shall  find  it 
necessary  to  discover  the  identity  of  Mr  Bates' 
tenant." 

"When  are  we  going  to  make  the  experiment?'* 
Gurdon  asked. 

"We  are  going  to  make  it  now,"  Venner  replied. 
"We  will  have  a  cab  as  far  as  the  Empire  Hotel, 
[  137  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

so  that  I  can  get  the  keys.  After  that,  the  thing 
will  be  quite  easy.  Come  along,  and  thank  me  for 
an  exciting  evening's  adventure.  I  shall  be  greatly 
surprised  if  it  is  not  even  more  exciting  than  the 
last  occasion." 

They  were  in  the  empty  house  at  last.  The 
windows  were  closed  and  shuttered,  so  that  it  was 
possible  to  use  matches  in  the  various  rooms  without 
attracting  attention  from  the  outside.  But  search 
how  they  would,  for  upwards  of  two  hours,  they 
could  find  no  trace  whatever  of  a  means  of  communi- 
cation between  the  two  houses.  They  tapped  the 
walls  and  sounded  the  skirtings,  but  without  success. 
Venner  paced  the  floor  of  the  drawing-room  moodily, 
racking  his  brains  to  discover  a  way  out  of  the 
difficulty. 

"It  must  be  here  somewhere,"  he  muttered. 
*'  I  am  sure  all  that  furniture  was  moved  backwards 
and  forwards  through  some  door,  and  a  wide  one 
at  that." 

"Then  it  must  be  on  the  ground  floor,"  Gurdon 
remarked.  "When  you  come  to  think  of  it,  some 
of  that  furniture  was  so  heavy  and  massive  that  it 
would  not  go  through  an  ordinary  doorway,  neither 
could  it  have  been  brought  upstairs  without  the 
assistance  of  two  or  three  men  of  great  strength. 
We  shall  have  to  look  for  it  in  the  hall;  if  we  don't 
find  it  there,  we  shall  have  to  give  it  up  as  a  bad 
job  and  try  some  other  plan." 
[138] 


THE  HOUSE  NEXT  DOOR 

**I  am  inclined  to  think  you  are  right,"  Venner 
said.  "  Let  us  go  down  and  see.  At  any  rate,  there 
is  one  consolation.  If  we  fail  to-night  we  can  come 
again  to-morrow." 

Gurdon  did  not  appear  to  be  listening.  He  strode 
resolutely  down  the  stairs  into  the  hall  and  stood 
for  some  moments  contemplating  the  panels  before 
him.  The  panels  were  painted  white;  they  were 
elaborately  ornamented  with  wreaths  of  flowers 
after  the  Adams'  style  of  decoration.  Then  it 
seemed  to  Gurdon  that  two  pairs  of  panels,  one  above 
and  one  below,  had  at  one  time  taken  the  formation 
of  a  doorway.  He  tapped  on  one  of  the  panels, 
and  the  drumming  of  his  fingers  gave  out  a  hollow 
sound.  Gurdon  tapped  again  on  the  next  panel, 
but  hardly  any  sound  came  in  response.  He  looked 
triumphantly  at  Venner. 

"I  think  we  have  got  it  at  last,"  he  said.  "Do 
you  happen  to  have  a  knife  in  your  pocket .'' 
Unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,  the  decorations 
around  these  panels  come  off  like  a  bead.  If 
you  have  a  knife  with  you  we  can  soon  find 
out." 

Venner  produced  a  small  knife  from  his  pocket, 
and  Gurdon  attempted  to  insinuate  the  point  of 
the  blade  under  the  elaborate  moulding.  Surely 
enough,  the  moulding  yielded,  and  presently  came 
away  in  Gurdon's  hands. 

"There  you  are,"  he  said.     "It  is  exactly  as  I 
[139] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

told  you.  I  thought  at  first  that  those  mouldings 
were  plaster,  but  you  can  see  for  yourself  now  that 
they  are  elaborately  carved  wood." 

Venner  laid  the  ornament  aside  and  stood 
watching  Gurdon  with  breathless  interest  while  the 
latter  attacked  another  of  the  mouldings.  They 
came  away  quite  easily,  pointing  to  the  fact  that 
they  must  have  been  removed  before  within  a 
very  short  period.  Once  they  were  all  cleared 
away,  Gurdon  placed  the  point  of  the  knife  behind 
one  of  the  panels,  and  it  came  away  in  his  hands, 
disclosing  beyond  a  square  hole  quite  large  enough 
for  anybody  to  enter.  Here  was  the  whole  secret 
exposed. 

"Exactly  what  I  thought,"  Gurdon  said.  "If 
I  removed  all  the  mouldings  from  the  other  three 
panels  there  would  be  space  enough  here  to  drive 
a  trap  through.  I  think  we  have  been  exceedingly 
lucky  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  this.  How  clever 
and  ingeniously  the  whole  thing  has  been  man- 
aged !  However,  I  don't  think  there  is  any 
occasion  for  us  to  worry  about  moving  any  more 
of  the  panels,  seeing  that  we  can  get  through  now 
quite  easily.  Wouldn't  it  be  just  as  well  to  put  all 
the  lights  out .? " 

"I  haven't  thought  of  that,"  Venner  muttered. 
"  On  the  whole,  it  would  be  exceedingly  injudicious 
not  to  extinguish  all  the  lights.     We  had  better  go 
on  at  once,  I  think,  and  get  it  over." 
[140]    . 


THE  HOUSE  NEXT  DOOR 

The  house  was  reduced  to  darkness,  and  very 
quietly  and  cautiously  the  two  adventurers  crept 
through  the  panel.  They  were  in  the  hall  on  the 
other  side,  of  which  fact  there  was  no  doubt,  for 
they  stepped  at  once  off  a  marble  floor  on  to  a  thick 
rug  which  deadened  the  sound  of  their  footsteps. 
They  had,  naturally  enough,  expected  to  find  the 
whole  place  in  darkness,  and  the  tenant  of  the  house 
and  his  servants  in  bed.  This,  on  the  whole, 
would  be  in  their  favor,  for  it  would  enable  them  to 
take  all  the  observations  they  required  with  a 
minimum  chance  of  being  disturbed. 

A  surprise  awaited  them  from  the  first.  True, 
the  hall  was  in  darkness,  and,  as  far  as  they  could 
judge,  so  was  the  rest  of  the  house.  But  from  some- 
where upstairs  came  the  unmistakable  sound  of  a 
piano,  and  of  somebody  singing  in  a  sweet  but  plain- 
tive soprano  voice.  Gurdon  clutched  his  com- 
panion by  the  arm. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  just  possible  that  we  have 
made  a  mistake  ? "  he  whispered.  "  Isn't  it  quite 
on  the  cards  that  this  is  a  genuine  affair,  and  that  we 
are  intruding  in  an  unwarrantable  manner  upon 
some  respectable  private  citizen  ?  I  am  bound  to 
say  that  that  beautiful  voice  does  not  suggest  crime 
to  me." 

"We  must  go  on  now,"  Venner  said,  impatiently. 
"It  won't  do  to  judge  by  appearances.  Let  us  go 
up  the  stairs  and  see  what  is  going  on  for  ourselves. 
[141] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

K  we  are  intruding,  we  will  get  away  as  speedily  as 
possible." 

Gurdon  made  no  further  objection,  and  together 
they  crept  up  the  stairs.  There  was  no  chance  of 
their  being  surprised  from  behind  by  the  servants, 
for  they  had  taken  good  care  to  notice  that  the  base- 
ment was  all  in  darkness.  They  were  getting  nearer 
and  nearer  now  to  the  sound  of  the  music,  which 
appeared  to  come  from  the  drawing-room,  the  door 
of  which  was  widely  enough  open  for  the  brilliant 
light  inside  to  illuminate  the  staircase.  A  moment 
later  the  music  ceased,  and  someone  was  heard  to 
applaud  in  a  hoarse  voice. 

"Sing  some  more,"  the  voice  said.  "Now  don't 
be  foolish,  don't  begin  to  cry  again.  Confound  the 
girl,  she  makes  me  miserable." 

"  Do  you  recognise  the  voice  ?  "  Venner  whispered. 

"Lord!  yes,"  was  Gurdon's  reply.  "Why,  it's 
Fenwick.  No  mistaking  those  tones  anywhere. 
Now,  what  on  earth  does  all  this  mean  ?  " 
'  "We  shall  find  out  presently,"  Venner  said. 
"  You  may  laugh  at  me,  but  I  quite  expected  some- 
thing of  this  kind,  which  was  one  of  the  reasons  why 
I  obtained  the  keys  of  the  house." 

"  It's  a  most  extraordinary  thing,"  Gurdon  replied. 
*'Now  isn't  this  man — Fenwick — one  of  the  last 
persons  in  the  world  you  would  credit  with  a  love  of 
music  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,"  Venner  said.     "You  never  can 
[  142  ] 


THE  HOUSE  NEXT  DOOR 

tell.  But  don't  let's  talk.  We  are  here  more  to 
listen  than  anytliing  else.  I  wish  we  could  get  a 
glimpse  of  the  singer." 

"I  am  going  to,"  Gurdon  declared.  "Unless 
I  am  greatly  mistaken,  I  have  made  a  discovery,  too. 
Oh,  I  am  not  going  to  take  any  risk.  Do  you  see 
that  mirror  opposite  the  door.''  It  strikes  me  if  I 
get  close  enough  to  look  into  it  that  I  shall  be  able  to 
see  who  is  in  the  room  without  betraying  my  pres- 
ence." 

So  saying,  Gurdon  crept  forward  till  he  was 
close  enough  to  the  mirror  to  get  a  very  good  idea 
of  the  room  and  its  occupants.  He  could  see  a  pale 
figure  in  white  standing  by  a  piano;  he  could  see 
that  Fenwick  was  sprawling  in  a  big  armchair, 
smoldng  a  large  cigar.  Then  he  noticed  that  the 
girl  crossed  the  floor  and  laid  a  slim  hand  half 
timidly,  half  imploringly,  on  Fenwick's  shoulder. 

"Why  are  you  so  unkind  to  me.'"  she  said. 
*'  Why  so  cruel  ?  How  many  times  have  you  prom- 
ised me  that  you  will  bring  him  back  to  me  again  ? 
I  get  so  tired  of  waiting,  I  feel  so  sad  and  weary,  and 
at  times  my  mind  seems  to  go  altogether." 

"Have  patience,"  Fenwick  said.  "If  you  will 
only  wait  a  little  longer  he  will  come  back  to  you 
right  enough.  Now  go  to  the  piano  and  sing  me 
another  song  before  I  go  to  bed.  Do  you  hear  what 
I  say?" 

The  last  words  were  harshly  uttered;  the  girl 
[143] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

reeled  back  as  if  fearing  a  blow.  Gurdon  standing 
there  clenched  his  fists  impulsively;  he  had  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  restraining  himself. 

"Very  well,"  she  said;  "just  one  more,  and  then 
I  will  go  to  bed,  for  I  am  so  tired  and  weary." 

Once  more  the  sweet  pathetic  voice  rang  out  in 
some  simple  song;  the  words  gradually  died  away, 
and  there  was  silence.  Gurdon  had  barely 
time  to  slip  back  to  the  head  of  the  stairs  before 
the  girl  came  out  and  made  her  way  to  the  landing 
above.  Standing  just  below  the  level  of  the  floor, 
Venner  gazed  eagerly  at  the  pretty  tired  face  and 
mournful  blue  eyes.  He  grasped  his  companion  by 
the  arm  in  a  grip  that  was  almost  painful. 

"We  are  getting  to  it,"  he  said.  "It  was  a  good 
night's  work  comirig  here  to-night.  Do  you  mean 
to  say  you  don  l  aotice  the  likeness?  Making  due 
allowance  for  the  diflFerence  in  height  and  tempera- 
ment, that  poor  girl  is  the  image  of  my  wife." 

"I  must  have  been  a  dolt  not  to  have  noticed  it 
before,"  Gurdon  said.  "Now  that  you  mention 
it,  the  likeness  is  plain  enough.  My  dear  fellow, 
can't  you  see  in  this  a  reason  for  your  wife's  reticence 
in  speaking  of  the  past.''" 

There  was  no  time  to  reply,  for  the  sinister  evil 
face  of  Fenwick  appeared  in  the  doorway,  and  he 
called  aloud  in  Spanish  some  hoarse  command, 
which  was  answered  from  above  by  someone,  in 
the  same  language.  Gurdon  whispered  to  his  com- 
[144] 


THE  HOUSE  NEXT  DOOR 

panion,  with  a  view  to  ascertaining  what  had  been 
said. 

"You  will  see  for  yourself  in  a  minute,"  Venner 
said  in  an  excited  whisper.  "  You  are  going  to  have 
another  surprise.  You  wanted  to  know  just  now 
what  had  become  of  Bates.  Unless  I  am  greatly  mis- 
taken, you  will  be  able  to  judge  for  yourself  in  a  few 
moments.  I  beheve  the  man  to  be  a  prisoner  in 
his  own  house." 


[145] 
10 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  White  Lady  Again 

It  was  perhaps  an  imprudent  thing  for  the  two 
friends  to  remain  there,  exposed  as  they  were  to 
the  danger  of  discovery  at  any  moment;  but,  so 
completely  were  they  fascinated  by  what  was  going 
on  about  them,  that  they  had  flung  caution  to  the 
winds.  One  thing  was  in  their  favor,  however; 
there  was  not  much  HkeUhood  of  their  being  at- 
tacked from  below,  seeing  that  all  the  servants  had 
gone  to  bed;  unless,  perhaps,  some  late  comer 
entered  the  house.  Still,  the  risk  had  to  be  run,  and 
so  they  stood  there  together,  waiting  for  the  next 
move.     It  was  Venner  who  spoke  first. 

"I  cannot  get  over  the  extraordinary  likeness 
of  that  girl  to  my  wife,"  he  said.  "Is  she  anything 
like  the  woman  you  saw  next  door?  I  mean  the 
poor  half -demented  creature  who  happened  to  come 
into  the  room  when  you  were  talking  with  the  own- 
er  .-^ 

"Why,  of  course,  it  is  the  same  girl,"  Gurdon 
replied. 

"Then  I  am  sure  she  is  Vera's  sister.  I'll  ask 
her  about  it  the  first  time  I  have  an  opportunity. 
[146] 


THE  WHITE  LADY  AGAIN 

Be  silent  and  get  a  little  lower  down  the  stairs. 
There  is  somebody  coming  from  the  top  of  the  house. 
We  can  see  here  without  being  seen." 

Assuredly  there  were  sounds  emanating  from  the 
top  of  the  house.  A  voice  was  raised  in  angry 
expostulation,  followed  by  other  voices  morose  and 
threatening.  As  far  as  the  listeners  could  judge, 
two  men  were  dragging  a  third  down  the  stairs 
against  his  will.  But  for  that,  the  house  was  deadly 
silent;  the  watchers  could  hear  the  jingle  of  a 
passing  cab  bell,  a  belated  foot  passenger  whistled 
as  he  went  along.  It  seemed  almost  impossible  to 
believe  that  so  close  to  light  and  law  and  order  and 
the  well-being  of  the  town  a  strange  tragedy  like 
this  should  be  in  progress;  hidden  from  the  eye 
of  London,  by  mere  skill  of  brick  and  mortar,  this 
strange  thing  was  going  on.  Venner  wondered  to 
himself  how  many  such  scenes  were  taking  place  in 
Ijondon  at  the  same  moment. 

But  he  had  not  much  time  for  his  meditation, 
for  the  shuffling  of  feet  came  closer.  There  were  no 
more  sounds  of  expostulation  now;  only  the  heavy 
breathing  of  three  people,  as  if  the  captive  had 
ceased  to  struggle  and  was  making  but  a  passive 
resistance.  Then  there  emerged  on  the  landing 
the  figure  of  the  handsome  cripple  with  a  guardian 
on  either  side.  His  face  was  no  longer  distorted 
with  pain;  rather  was  it  white  with  an  overpowering 
anger — his  eyes  shone  like  points  of  flame.  On  his 
[147] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

right  side  Venner  and  Gurdon  recognised  the  figure 
of  the  man  in  the  Hst  sUppers — the  man  who  had 
been  handUng  the  sovereigns  in  Fenwick's  rooms. 
His  comrade  was  a  stranger,  though  of  the  same 
type,  and  it  seemed  to  Venner  that  anyone  would 
have  been  justified  in  repudiating  either  of  them  as 
an  acquaintance.  It  was  perfectly  evident  that  the 
cripple  came  against  his  will,  though  he  was  strugg- 
ling no  longer.  Probably  the  condition  of  his  ema- 
ciated frame  had  rendered  the  task  of  his  captors 
an  easy  one.  They  drags'^ d  him,  Ump  and  ex- 
hausted, into  the  drawing-room  where  Fenwick 
was  seated  and  they  stood  in  the  doorway  awaiting 
further  instructions. 

"You  needn't  stay  there,"  Fenwick  growled. 
"  If  I  want  you  I  can  call.  You  had  better  go  back 
to  your  cards  again." 

The  two  men  disappeared  up  the  stairs,  and 
just  for  a  moment  there  was  silence  in  the  drawing- 
room.  It  was  safe  for  Venner  and  his  companion 
now  to  creep  back  to  the  drawing-room  door  and 
take  a  careful  note  of  what  was  going  on.  With  the 
aid  of  a  friendly  mirror  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room,  it  was  possible  to  see  and  note  everything. 
The  cripple  had  fallen  into  a  chair,  where  he  sat 
huddled  in  a  heap,  his  hand  to  his  head,  as  if  some 
great  physical  pain  racked  him.  His  heavy  breath- 
ing was  the  only  sound  made,  except  the  steady 
puffing  of  Fenwick's  cigar.  A  fit  of  anger  gripped 
[148] 


THE  WHITE  LADY  AGAIN 

Venner  for  the  moment;  he  would  have  liked  to 
step  in  and  soundly  punish  Fenwick  for  his  brutality. 
Doubtless  the  poor  crippled  frame  was  racked  with 
the  pain  caused  by  the  violence  of  his  late  captors. 

But  under  that  queer  exterior  was  a  fine  spirit. 
Gradually  the  cripple  ceased  to  quiver  and  palpitate ; 
gradually  he  pulled  himself  up  in  his  chair  and  faced 
his  captor.  His  face  was  still  deadly  white,  but  it 
was  hard  and  set  now;  there  was  no  sign  of  fear 
about  him.  He  leaned  forward  and  stared  Fenwick 
between  the  eyes. 

"Well,  you  scoundrel,"  he  said  in  a  clear,  cold 
voice,  "I  should  like  to  know  the  meaning  of  this. 
I  have  heard  of  and  read  of  some  strange  outrages 
in  my  time,  but  to  kidnap  a  man  and  keep  him 
prisoner  in  his  own  house  is  to  exceed  all  the 
bounds  of  audacity." 

"You  appear  to  be  annoyed,"  Fenwick  said. 
*'  Perhaps  you  have  not  already  learned  who  I  am  ?  " 

"  I  know  perfectly  well  who  you  are,"  the  cripple 
responded.  "Your  name  is  Mark  Fenwick,  and 
you  are  one  of  the  greatest  scoundrels  unhung. 
At  present,  you  are  posing  as  an  American  million- 
aire. Fools  may  beheve  you,  but  I  know  better. 
The  point  is,  do  you  happen  to  know  who  I  am  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  know  who  you  are,"  Fenwick  said  with 

a  sardonic  smile.     "You  elect  to  call  yourself  Mr. 

Bates,  or  some  such  name,  and  you  pretend  to  be  a 

recluse  who  gives  himself  over  to  literary  pursuits. 

[149] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  you  are  Charles  Le  Fenii,  and 
your  father  was,  at  one  time,  the  practical  owner 
of  the  Four  Finger  Mine." 

"We  are  getting  on,"  Venner  whispered.  "It 
may  surprise  you  to  hear  this,  but  I  have  suspected 
it  for  some  little  time.  The  so-called  absent  owner 
of  these  houses  is  the  man  sitting  opposite  Fenwick 
there.  Now  do  you  begin  to  see  something  Uke 
daylight  before  you  }  I  wouldn't  have  missed  this 
for  worlds." 

"We  have  certainly  been  lucky,"  Gurdon  replied. 

There  was  no  time  for  further  conversation,  for 
the  cripple  was  speaking  again.  His  voice  was  still 
hard  and  cold,  nor  did  his  manner  betray  the  slightest 
sign  of  fear. 

"So  you  have  found  that  out,"  he  said.  "You 
know  that  I  am  the  son  of  the  unfortunate  French- 
man who  was  murdered  by  a  rascally  Dutchman  at 
your  instigation.  You  thought  that  once  having 
discovered  the  secret  of  the  mine  you  could  work  it 
to  your  own  advantage.  How  well  you  worked  it 
your  left  hand  testifies." 

The  jeer  went  home  to  Fenwick,  his  yellow  face 
flushed,  and  he  half  rose  from  his  chair  with  a  threat- 
ening gesture. 

"Oh,  you  can  strike  me,"  the  cripple  said.     "I 

am  practically  helpless  as  far  as  my  lower  limbs  are 

concerned,  and  it  would  be  just  the  sort  of  cowardly 

act  that  would  gratify  a  dirty  little  soul  like  yours. 

'  [ 150  f 


THE  WHITE  LADY  AGAIN 

It  hurts  me  to  sit  here,  helpless  and  useless,  knowing 
that  you  are  the  cause  of  all  my  misfortunes;  Icnow- 
ing  that,  but  for  you,  I  should  be  as  straight  and 
strong  as  the  best  of  them.  And  yet  you  are  not 
safe — you  are  going  to  pay  the  penalty  of  your  crime. 
Have  you  had  the  first  of  your  warnings  yet  ?" 

Fenwick  started  in  his  seat;  in  the  looking-glass 
the  watchers  could  see  how  ghastly  his  face  had 
grown. 

"I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  he  muttered. 

"Liar!"  the  cripple  cried.  "Paltry  liar!  Why, 
you  are  shaking  from  head  to  foot  now — your  face 
is  like  that  of  a  man  who  stands  in  the  shadow  of  the 
gallows." 

"  I  repeat,  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  Fenwick 
said. 

"Oh,  yes,  you  do.  When  your  accomplice  Van 
Fort  foully  murdered  my  father,  you  thought  that 
the  two  of  you  would  have  the  mine  to  yourselves; 
you  thought  you  would  work  it  alone  as  my  father 
did,  and  send  your  ill-gotten  gains  back  to  England. 
That  is  how  the  murdered  man  accompHshed  it, 
that  is  how  he  made  his  fortune — and  you  were 
going  to  do  the  same  thing,  both  of  you.  W^hen  you 
had  made  all  your  arrangements  you  went  down  to 
the  coast  on  certain  business,  leaving  the  rascally 
Dutchman  behind.  He  was  quite  alone  in  the 
mine,  there  was  no  one  within  miles  of  that  secret 
spot.  And  yet  he  vanished.  Van  Fort  was  never 
[151] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

heard  of  again.  The  message  of  his  fingers  was 
conveyed  to  his  wife,  for  she  was  impUcated  in  the 
murder  of  my  father,  and  how  she  suffered  you  al- 
ready know.  But  you  are  a  brave  man — I  give  you 
all  the  credit  for  that.  You  went  back  to  the  mine 
again,  determined  not  to  be  deterred  by  what  had 
happened.  "What  happened  to  you,  I  need  not  go 
into.  Shall  I  tell  the  story,  or  will  you  be  content 
with  a  recollection  of  your  sufferings .''  It  is  all  the 
same  to  me." 

"You  are  a  bold  man,"  Fenwick  cried.  He  was 
trembling  with  the  rage  that  filled  him.  "You  are 
a  bold  man  to  defy  me  like  this.  Nobody  knows 
that  I  am  here,  nobody  knows  that  you  are  back  in 
your  own  house  again.  I  could  kill  you  as  you  sit 
there,  and  not  a  soul  would  suffer  for  the  crime." 

The  cripple  laughed  aloud;  he  seemed  to  be 
amused  at  something. 

"Really!"  he  sneered.  "Such  cheap  talk  is 
wasted  upon  me.  Besides,  what  would  you  gain 
by  so  unnecessary  a  crime,  and  how  much  better 
off  would  you  be  ?  You  know  as  well  as  I  do,  dis- 
guise it  as  you  will,  that  the  long  arm  has  reached 
for  you  across  five  thousand  miles  of  sea,  and  that, 
when  the  time  comes,  you  will  be  stricken  down 
here  in  London  as  surely  and  inevitably  as  if  jou 
had  remained  in  Mexico  under  the  shadow  of  the 
mountains.  The  dreadful  secret  is  known  to  a  few, 
in  its  entirety  it  is  even  unknown  to  me.  I  asked 
[152] 


THE  WHITE  LADY  AGAIN 

you  just  now  if  you  had  received  the  first  of  your 
messages,  and  you  denied  that  you  knew  what  I 
meant.  You  actually  had  the  effrontery  to  deny  it 
to  me,  sitting  opposite  to  you  as  I  am,  and  looking 
straight  at  the  dreadful  disfigurement  of  your  left 
hand.  For  over  three  centuries  the  natives  of  Mexi- 
co worked  the  Four  Finger  Mine  till  only  two  of  the 
tribe  who  knew  its  secret  remained.  Then  it  was 
that  my  father  came  along.  He  was  a  brave  man, 
and  an  adventurer  to  his  finger  tips.  INloreover,  he 
was  a  doctor.  His  healing  art  made  those  rough 
men  his  friends,  and  when  their  time  came,  my 
father  was  left  in  possession  of  the  mine.  How 
that  mine  was  guarded  and  how  the  spirit  of  the  place 
took  its  vengeance  upon  intruders,  you  know  too 
well.     Ah,  I  have  touched  you  now." 

Fenwick  had  risen,  and  was  pacing  uneasily  up 
and  down  the  room.  All  the  dare-devil  spirit  seemed 
to  have  left  the  man  for  a  moment;  he  turned  a 
troubled  face  on  the  cripple  huddled  in  his  chair. 
He  seemed  half  incKned  to  temporise,  and  then, 
with  a  short  laugh,  he  resumed  his  own  seat  again. 

"You  seem  to  be  very  sure  of  your  ground,"  he 
sneered. 

"I  am,"  the  cripple  went  on.  '\Miat  does  it 
matter  what  becomes  of  a  melancholy  wreck  like 
myself  ?  Doctors  tell  me  that  in  time  I  may  become 
my  old  self  again,  but  in  my  heart  I  doubt  it,  and 
as  sure  as  I  sit  here  the  mere  frame-work  of  a  human 
[153] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

being,  my  injuries  are  due  to  you.  I  might  have 
had  you  shot  before  now,  or  I  might  even  have  done 
it  myself,  but  I  spared  you.  It  would  have  been  a 
kindness  to  cut  your  Ufe  short,  but  I  had  another  use 
for  you  than  that.  And  now,  gradually,  but  surely, 
the  net  is  closing  in  around  you,  though  you  cannot 
yet  see  its  meshes,  and  you  are  powerless  to  prevent 
the  inevitable  end." 

"You  seem  to  have  mapped  it  all  out,"  Fenwick 
replied.  "You  seem  to  have  settled  it  all  to  your 
own  satisfaction,  but  you  forget  that  I  may  have 
something  to  say  in  the  matter.  When  I  discovered, 
as  I  did  quite  by  accident,  that  you  were  in  London, 
I  laid  my  plans  for  getting  you  into  my  hands. 
It  suits  me  very  well,  apart  from  the  criminal  side  of 
it,  to  hide  myself  in  your  house,  but  that  is  not  all.  I 
am  in  a  position  now  to  dictate  terms,  and  you  have 
nothing  else  to  do  but  to  listen.  I  am  prepared  to 
spare  your  hfe  on  one  condition.  Now  kindly 
follow  me  carefully." 

"I  am  listening,"  the  cripple  said,  coldly.  "If 
you  were  not  the  blind  fool  you  seem  to  be  you  would 
know  that  there  could  be  no  conditions  between  us; 
but  go  on.     Let  me  hear  what  you  have  to  say." 

"I  am  coming  to  that.  I  want  you  to  tell  me 
where  I  can  find  Felix  Zary." 

Suddenly,  without  the  shghtest  premonition,  the 
cripple  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh.  He  rocked  back- 
ward and  forward  in  a  perfect  ecstasy  of  enjoyment; 
[134] 


THE  WHITE  LADY  AGAIN 

for  the  moment,  at  any  rate,  he  might  have  been 
on  the  very  best  of  terms  with  his  companion. 

"Oh,  that  is  what  you  are  driving  at?"  he  said. 
*'So  you  think  that  if  you  could  get  FeUx  Zary  out 
of  the  way  you  would  be  absolutely  safe  ?  Really,  it 
is  marvellous  how  an  otherwise  clever  man  could  be 
so  blind  to  the  true  facts  of  the  case.  My  good  sir, 
I  will  give  you  Zary's  address  with  pleasure." 

Fenwick  was  obviously  puzzled.  Perhaps  it  was 
beginning  to  dawn  upon  him  that  he  had  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  intellect  to  grapple  with.  He 
looked  searchingly  at  the  cripple,  who  was  leaning 
back  mth  eyes  half  closed. 

"Hang  me,  if  I  can  understand  you,"  he  muttered. 
"I  am  in  imminent  danger  of  my  hfe,  though  I 
should  be  safe  enough  if  Felix  Zary  and  yourself 
were  out  of  the  way." 

"And  you  are  quite  capable  of  putting  us  out  of 
the  way,"  the  cripple  said,  gently.  "  Is  not  that  so, 
my  friend.'" 

"Aye,  I  could,  and  I  would,"  Fenwick  said  in  a 
fierce  whisper.  "If  you  were  both  dead  I  could 
breathe  freely;  I  could  go  to  bed  at  night  feeling 
sure  that  I  should  wake  in  the  morning.  Nothing: 
could  trouble  me  then.  As  to  that  accursed  mine, 
I  have  done  with  it.  Never  again  do  I  plant  my 
foot  in  Mexico." 

"  Fool  that  you  are ! "  the  cripple  said  in  tones  of 
infinite  pity.  "So  you  think  that  if  Zary  and  my- 
[155  1 


THE  I^IYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

self  were  out  of  the  way  you  might  die  eventually  in 
your  bed  honored  and  respected  of  men  ?  I  tell 
you,  never!  The  vengeance  is  upon  you,  it  is  follow- 
ing you  here,  it  is  close  at  hand  now.  You  have 
already  had  your  warning.  Perhaps,  for  all  I  know 
to  the  contrary,  you  may  have  had  your  second 
warning;  that  you  have  had  one,  your  face  told  me 
eloquently  enough  a  few  moments  ago.  I  am  quite 
sure  that  a  little  quiet  reflection  will  show  you  the 
absurdity  of  keeping  me  a  prisoner  in  my  own  house. 
Of  course,  I  know  I  am  entirely  in  your  hands,  and 
that  you  may  keep  me  here  for  weeks  if  you  choose. 
It  will  be  very  awkward  for  me,  because  I  have 
important  business  on  hand." 

"  I  know  your  important  business,"  Fenwick 
sneered.  "Everything  that  goes  in  your  favor  will 
naturally  spell  disaster  to  me.  As  I  told  you  before, 
it  was  only  an  accident  that  told  me  where  you  were ; 
indeed,  so  changed  are  you  that  I  should  not  have 
recognised  you  if  I  had  met  you  in  the  street.  No, 
on  the  whole,  you  will  stay  where  you  are." 

At  this  point  Venner  clutched  Gurdon's  arm 
and  dragged  him  hurriedly  across  the  landing  down 
to  the  half  staircase.  So  quickly  was  this  done  that 
Gurdon  had  no  time  to  ask  the  reason  for  it  all. 

"Someone  coming  down  the  stairs,"  Venner 
whispered.  "Didn't  you  hear  a  voice?  I  believe 
it  is  the  girl  in  white  again." 

Surely  enough,  looking  upward,  they  could  see 
[156] 


THE  WHITE  LADY  AGAIN 

the  slim  white  figure  creeping  down  the  stairs. 
The  girl  was  crooning  some  httle  song  to  herself  as 
she  came  along.  She  turned  into  the  drawing- 
room  and  called  aloud  to  the  cripple  in  the  chair. 
With  an  oath  on  his  lips,  Fenwick  motioned  her 
away. 


[157] 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Master  of  the  Situation 

'*What  have  you  come  back  here  for?"  Fenwick 
demanded.  "You  said  you  were  tired,  and  that 
you  were  going  to  bed,  long  ago." 

The  girl  looked  dreamily  about  her;  it  was  some 
little  time  before  she  appeared  to  appreciate  the 
significance  of  Fenwick's  question.  She  was  more 
like  one  who  walks  in  her  sleep  than  a  human  being 
in  the  full  possession  of  understanding. 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  said,  helplessly.  She  rubbed 
her  eyes  as  if  there  had  been  mist  before  them.  "  I 
was  so  tired  that  I  lay  on  the  bed  without  undressing, 
and  I  fell  fast  asleep.  Then  I  had  a  dream.  I 
dreamed  that  all  the  miserable  past  was  forgotten, 
and  that  Charles  was  with  me  once  more.  Then 
he  seemed  to  call  me,  and  I  woke  up.  Oh,  it  was 
such  a  vivid  dream,  so  vivid,  that  I  could  not  sleep 
again!  I  was  so  restless  and  anxious,  that  I  made 
up  my  mind  to  come  downstairs,  and,  as  I  was 
passing  a  door  just  now,  it  opened,  and  the 
face  of  Charles  looked  out.  It  was  only  for  a  mo- 
ment, then  two  men  behind  him  dragged  him  back 
and  the  door  closed  once  more." 
[158] 


MASTER  OF  THE  SITUATION 

"A  foolish  fancy,"  Fenwick  growled. 

"It  was  not,"  the  girl  cried  almost  passionately. 
*'  I  tried  the  door  a  moment  later,  and  it  was  locked. 
I  tell  you  that  Charles  is  in  that  room.  I  cannot  go 
to  bed  again  until  I  am  certain  of  the  truth.  Oh, 
why  do  you  keep  me  in  suspense  like  this  ?  "  ! 

"Mad,"  Fenwick  muttered.  "Mad  as  a  March 
hare.     Why  don't  you  send  her  to  an  asylum  ?  " 

"She  is  not  mad,"  the  cripple  said  in  a  curiously 
hard  voice.  "  Something  tells  me  that  she  has  made 
a  discovery.  You  rascal,  is  it  possible  that  you  have 
Charies  Evors  under  this  roof.'*" 

Fenwick  laughed,  but  there  was  something  uneasy 
and  strained  about  his  mirth.  He  glanced  defiantly 
at  the  cripple,  then  his  eyes  dropped  before  the  lat- 
ter's  steady  gaze. 

"  Why  should  I  worry  about  Evors .'' "  he  asked. 
"  The  man  is  nothing  to  me,  and  if  by  chance '* 

The  rest  of  Fenwuck's  sentence  was  drowned  ia 
a  sudden  uproar  which  seemed  to  break  out  in  a 
room  overhead.  The  tense  silence  was  broken  by 
the  thud  of  heavy  blows  as  if  someone  were  banging 
on  a  door,  then  came  muttered  shouts  and  yells 
of  unmistakable  pain.  Hastily  Fenwick  rose  from 
his  seat  and  made  in  the  direction  of  the  door. 
He  had  hardly  advanced  two  steps  before  he  found 
himself  confronted  ^N-ith  the  rim  of  a  silver-plated 
revolver,  which  the  cripple  was  holding  directly  in 
the  line  of  his  head. 

[159] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"Sit  down,"  the  latter  said  tersely.  "Sit  down, 
or,  as  sure  as  I  am  a  living  man,  I'll  fire.  I  could 
say  that  I  fired  the  shot  in  self-defence,  and  when 
the  whole  story  comes  to  be  told  I  have  no  fear  that 
a  jury  would  disbelieve  me.  Besides,  there  is  nothing 
to  be  afraid  of.  Those  sounds  don't  come  from 
the  pohce  trying  lo  force  their  way  into  the  house. 
On  the  contrary,  it  seems  to  me  that  some  of  your 
parasites  are  having  a  misunderstanding  over  their 
cards.  At  any  rate,  you  are  not  to  move.  If  you 
do,  there  will  be  an  end  once  and  for  all  of  the  million- 
aire Mark  Fenwick.  Sit  down,  my  child — you  are 
trembling  from  head  to  foot." 

"  It  was  his  voice,"  the  girl  cried.  "  I  am  certain 
that  it  was  Charles  who  called  out  just  now." 

Once  more  the  shouts  and  cries  broke  out,  once 
more  came  that  banging  on  the  panels,  followed  by 
a  splitting  crash,  after  which  the  uproar  doubled. 
Evidently  a  door  had  given  way  and  the  conflict 
was  being  fought  out  on  the  stairs. 

"  Shall  we  go  and  take  a  hand  ? "  Gurdon  whis- 
pered excitedly.     "  Murder  might  be  going  on  here." 

"I  think  we  had  better  risk  it  a  little  longer," 
was  Venner's  cautious  reply.  "  After  all  is  said  and 
done,  we  must  not  make  ourselves  too  prominent. 
If  necessary  we  will  take  a  hand,  but,  unless  I  am 
greatly  mistaken,  the  prisoner  upstairs  has  got  the 
better  of  his  captors.     Ah,  I  thought  so." 

The  sound  of  strife  overhead   suddenly  ceased 
[160] 


MASTER  OF  THE  SITUATION 

after  two  smashing  blows,  in  which  evidently  a 
man's  clenched  fist  had  come  in  contact  with  naked 
flesh.  There  was  a  groan,  the  thud  of  a  falling 
body,  and  the  man  in  the  list  slippers  came  rolling 
down  the  stairs.  He  was  followed  a  moment  later 
by  a  young  clean-shaven  man  dressed  in  a  grey 
Norfolk  suit.  His  frame  suggested  power  and 
strength,  though  his  face  was  white  like  that  of  one 
who  is  just  recovering  from  a  long  illness.  He  was 
breathing  very  hard,  but  otherwise  he  did  not 
appear  to  have  suffered  much  in  the  struggle  out 
of  which  he  had  emerged  in  so  victorious  a  fashion. 
He  made  his  way  direct  to  the  drawing-room,  and 
immediately  a  woman's  voice  uprose  in  a  long  wail- 
ing cry. 

'■  I'd  give  something  to  see  that,"  Venner  whis- 
pered. "  Only  I  am  afraid  we  can't  do  anything  until 
the  man  in  the  list  slippers  comes  to  his  senses  and 
takes  himself  off.  There  is  another  one  coming 
now.  He  doesn't  look  much  better  off  than  his 
colleague." 

Another  man  crept  down  the  stairs,  swaying  as 
he  came  and  holding  on  to  the  balusters.  He  had 
a  tremendous  swelling  over  his  left  eye  and  a  terrible 
gash  in  his  lip,  from  which  the  blood  was  flowing 
freely.  Altogether  he  presented  a  terrible  aspect 
as  he  bent  over  the  prostrate  form  of  his  unconscious 
companion. 

"Here,  get  up,  wake  up,"  he  said.  "What  are 
li  [  161  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

you  lying  there  for  ?  He'll  be  out  of  the  house  before 
we  can  turn  round,  and  what  will  the  governor  say 
then?" 

The  man  in  the  slippers  gradually  assumed  a  sit- 
ting position  and  stared  stupidly  about  him.  A 
hearty  kick  in  the  ribs  seemed  to  restore  him  to 
some  measure  of  consciousness. 

"  Don't  ask  me,"  he  said.  "  I  never  saw  anything 
like  it.  Here's  a  chap  who  has  been  in  bed  on  and 
off  for  months  coming  out  in  this  unexpected  manner 
and  knocking  us  about  as  if  we  had  been  ninepins. 
What's  become  of  him,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  " 

"What  are  you  two  ruffians  doing  there?"  came 
Fenwick's  voice  from  the  drawing-room.  "Go 
back  to  your  room,  and  I  will  send  for  you  when  I 
want  you." 

The  men  slunk  back  again,  probably  by  no  means 
sorry  to  be  out  of  further  trouble.  No  sooner  had 
they  disappeared  than  the  two  friends  stood  in  the 
entrance  to  the  door  of  the  drawing-room  once 
more.  The  friendly  mirror  again  stood  them  in 
good  stead,  for  by  its  aid  they  watched  as  dramatic 
and  thrilling  a  picture  as  ever  was  presented  on  any 
stage. 

The  young  man  in  the  Norfolk  suit  stood  there 
side  by  side  with  the  girl  in  white.  He  had  his  arm 
about  her  waist.  She  clung  to  him,  with  her  head 
upon  his  shoulder;  there  were  words  of  endearment 
on  her  lips.  Just  for  the  moment  she  seemed  to  have 
[162  J 


MASTER  OF  THE  SITUATION 

forgotten  that  they  were  not  alone;  all  the  world 
might  have  been  made  for  herself  and  her  lover. 
For  the  moment,  too,  the  dreamy  look  had  left  her 
face,  and  she  no  longer  conveyed  the  impression 
to  a  stranger's  eyes  that  she  was  suffering  from  some 
form  of  insanity.  She  was  alert  and  vigorous  once 
more. 

"  Oh,  I  knew  that  you  would  come  back  to  me," 
she  said.  "  I  knew  that  you  were  not  dead,  for  all 
they  told  me  so.  How  cruel  they  were  to  tell  me 
these  things " 

"Stop,"  the  cripple  cried.  "It  sounds  cruel  and 
heartless  for  me  to  have  to  interfere  just  now,  but 
I  must  insist  that  you  go  back  to  your  room,  Beth. 
Back  at  once." 

"Can't  I  stay  a  little  longer?"  the  girl  pleaded. 
"It  is  such  a  long  time  since  Charles  and  I " 

"No,  no,  you  must  do  as  I  tell  you.  It  will  be 
far  better  in  the  long  run.  We  are  only  two  men 
against  three,  and  there  may  be  others  concealed 
in  the  house  for  all  I  know.  For  myseK,  I  am  per- 
fectly helpless,  and  Charles  looks  as  if  he  had  just 
come  from  tlie  grave.  Evidently  his  struggles  have, 
tried  him." 

"  Well,  I  must  confess,  I  am  feeling  rather  dov\n," 
Charles  Evors  said.  "I  could  not  stand  it  any 
longer,  and  I  made  a  dash  for  liberty.  Goodness 
knows  how  long  I  have  been  in  the  hands  of  those 
men;  and  how  long  thcv  have  kept  me  under  the 
L  103  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

influence  of  drugs.  I  suppose  the  supply  fell  short. 
Anyway,  I  had  just  sense  enough  to  take  advantage 
of  my  first  opportunity.  You  can  explain  all  to  me 
presently,  but  the  mere  fact  of  Fen  wick  being  here  is 
enough  to  tell  me  who  is  at  the  bottom  of  this 
business." 

Fenwick  placed  his  fingers  to  his  lips  and  whistled 
shrilly.  Almost  immediately  sounds  of  footsteps 
broke  out  overhead,  and  a  door  opened  somewhere 
with  a  loud  crash.  The  cripple  turned  to  the  girl, 
who  had  crept  reluctantly  as  far  as  the  doorway. 

"Now  hsten  to  me,"  he  said  quickly.  "Listen 
and  act  quickly.  Go  downstairs  into  the  street  and 
bring  here  the  first  policeman  you  can  find.  Tell 
him  a  violent  quarrel  has  broken  out  between  INIr. 
Bates  and  some  of  his  guests,  and  say  you  fear  that 
some  mischief  will  be  done.  Do  you  understand  me  ?  " 

The  girl  nodded  quickly.  E\idently  she  quite 
understood.  She  disappeared  so  suddenly  that 
Venner  and  Gurdon  had  barely  time  to  get  out  of 
her  way.  They  heard  the  street  door  open — they 
were  conscious  of  the  sudden  draught  rushing  up 
the  stairs;  the  sound  of  passing  cabs  was  distinctly 
audible. 

The  girl  had  hardly  time  to  get  outside  before 
three  or  four  men  came  down  the  stairs.  They 
rushed  headlong  into  the  drawing-room,  where  they 
seemed  to  pause,  no  doubt  deterred  in  their  Adolence 
for  a  moment  by  the  sight  of  the  cripple's  revolver. 
[164] 


MASTER  OF  THE  SITUATION 

"Here's  our  chance,"  Gurdon  wliispered.  "The 
girl  will  be  back  with  the  police  in  two  minutes,  and 
we  have  heard  quite  enough  to  know  the  ingenious 
scheme  which  is  uppermost  in  the  cripple's  mind. 
Let's  lock  them  in.  Don't  you  see  that  the  key 
is  in  on  this  side  of  the  door  ?     Turn  it  quickly." 

"  Good  business,"  Gurdon  chuckled  as  he  snapped 
the  key  in  the  lock.  "Now  they  can  fight  as  long 
as  they  like.  At  any  rate,  they  can't  do  much  mis- 
chief so  long  as  they  are  caged  in  there." 

A  din  of  mingled  voices  came  from  the  other 
side  of  the  door,  followed  quickly  by  the  whiplike 
crack  of  a  revolver  shot.  Then  someone  tried  the 
door  and  yelled  aloud  that  it  was  locked.  Fists 
battered  violently  on  the  panels,  and  just  as  the  din 
was  at  its  height  the  helmets  of  two  policemen 
appeared  mounting  the  stairs.  Venner  stepped 
coolly  forward  as  if  he  had  every  right  to  be 
there. 

"I'm  glad  you  officers  have  come,"  he  said. 
"  There  seems  to  be  something  in  the  nature  of  a  free 
fight  going  on  here.  We  took  the  hberty  of  turning 
in  as  the  door  was  open  to  see  what  had  happened. 
You  had  better  go  in  yourself." 

The  pohceman  tried  the  door,  which,  naturally, 
did  not  yield  to  his  hand,  and  he  called  out  to  those 
inside  to  open  in  the  name  of  the  law.  A  voice  on  the 
other  side  pleaded  that  the  door  was  locked.  Venner 
turned  the  key  in  the  door. 
[165] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Probably  the  young  lady  had  the  sense  to  lock 
them  in,"  he  said.  "You  had  better  go  inside, 
officer.  No,  there  is  no  reason  why  we  should 
accompany  you.  As  a  matter  of  fact  our  presence 
here  is  more  or  less  an  intrusion." 

The  policemen  stepped  into  the  room  and  de- 
manded to  know  what  was  the  matter.  They  could 
see  the  master  of  the  house  sitting  there  in  his  chair, 
with  a  tall  young  man  in  a  Norfolk  suit  by  his  side, 
and  opposite  him  Fenwick,  flushed  and  sullen, 
with  his  satellites  behind  him.  There  were  four 
of  them  altogether,  and  the  appearance  they  made 
was  by  no  means  attractive,  seeing  that  two  at 
least  of  them  were  showing  unmistakable  signs  of 
violence. 

It  was  the  cripple  who  first  recovered  his  self- 
possession. 

"I  am  sorry  to  trouble  you,"  he  said,  "but  I  am 
afraid  we  have  rather  forgotten  ourselves.  You 
know  me,  of  course.''" 

"Oh,  yes,  sir,"  the  first  officer  replied.  "You 
are  Mr.  Bates,  the  gentleman  who  is  supposed  to 
have  been  kidnapped  the  other  night;  the  inspector 
told  me  that  you  were  still  on  the  Continent." 

"Well,  I  am  not,"  the  cripple  said  curtly.  "I 
am  back  home  again,  as  you  can  see  with  your  own 
eyes.  The  gentleman  over  there  with  the  yellow 
face  is  Mr.  Mark  Fenwick,  the  well-known  million- 
aire. I  daresay  you  have  heard  of  him." 
[1G6] 


MASTER  OF  THE  SITUATION 

Both  officers  touched  their  hats  respectfully; 
they  had  probably  come  here  prepared  to  make 
more  than  one  arrest  and  thus  cover  themselves 
with  comparative  glory;  but  the  mere  mention 
of  Fenwick's  name  settled  that  point  once  and 
for  all. 

"As  you  are  probably  aware,"  the  cripple  went 
on,  "  until  quite  recently  Mr.  Fenwick  was  staying 
at  the  Great  Empire  Hotel,  but  the  place  was  too 
public  for  one  of  his  gentle  and  retiring  disposition, 
and  so  he  made  arrangements  to  take  my  house  fur- 
nished, though  the  understanding  was  that  nobody 
should  know  anything  about  it,  and  nobody  would 
have  known  anything  about  it  but  for  the  fact  that 
in  the  way  of  business  Mr.  Fenwick  had  to  consult 
these  other  gentlemen.  Perhaps  they  don't  look 
in  the  least  like  it,  but  they  are  all  American  capit- 
alists, having  made  their  money  by  gold  mining. 
They  don't  look  a  very  attractive  lot,  officer,  but  if 
you  knew  them  as  well  as  I  do  you  would  learn  to 
love  them  for  their  many  engaging  qualities,  and 
their  purity  of  heart." 

The  officers  touched  their  helmets  again,  and 
appeared  to  be  undecided  in  their  minds  as  to 
whether  the  cripple  was  chaffing  them  or  not.  But 
though  his  voice  had  a  certain  playfulness  of  tone, 
his  face  was  quite  grave  and  steadfast. 

"Very  well,  sir,"  the  foremost  of  the  constables 
said.  "  I  understand  that  neither  of  you  gentle- 
[167] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

men  desires  to  make  any  charge  against  the  other. 
I  shall  have  to  make  a  note  of  this." 

"Of  course  you  will,"  the  cripple  said  sweetly. 
*'  Now  I  appeal  to  Mr.  Fen  wick  and  his  companions 
as  to  whether  or  not  the  whole  thing  has  not  been  a 
silly  misunderstanding.  You  see,  officer,  gold  min- 
ing is  rather  a  thirsty  business,  and  occasionally 
leads  to  rather  more  champagne  than  is  good  for 
one.  I  can  only  apologise  to  my  tenant,  Mr.  Fen- 
wick,  for  losing  my  temper,  and  I  will  at  once  rid 
him  of  my  presence.  It  is  getting  very  late,  and  I 
can  come  round  in  the  morning  and  make  my  peace 
here.  As  I  am  a  little  lame,  I  will  ask  one  of  you 
officers  to  give  me  your  arm.  Charles,  will  you  be 
good  enough  to  give  me  your  arm  also  .^  I  wish 
you  good-night,  Mr.  Fenwick.  In  fact,  I  wish  all 
of  you  good-night.  I  shall  not  fail  to  call  round  in 
the  morning " 

"But  you  are  not  going,"  Fenwick  cried  in  dis- 
may. "You  are  not  going  away  from  your  own 
house  at  this  time  of  night  ?  " 

"You  forget,"  the  cripple  said,  gravely,  "that 
for  the  time  being  you  are  my  tenant,  and  that  I 
have  no  more  right  in  this  house,  indeed,  not  so 
much  right,  as  one  of  these  policemen.  I  have  sent 
my  servants  away,  and  I  am  at  present  staying — in 
fact,  it  does  not  matter  much  where  I  am  staying. 
Come   along." 

The  trap  was  so  neatly  laid  and  so  coolly  worked 
[  16S  ] 


MASTER  OF  THE  SITUATION 

that  Fenwick  could  only  sit  and  gasp  in  his  chair, 
while  his  two  victims  walked  quietly  away  in  the 
most  natural  manner  in  the  world. 

"We  had  better  be  off,"  Gurdon  whispered. 
"There  is  no  occasion  for  us  to  stay  any  longer. 
Let  us  follow  the  cripple.  By  Jove,  I  never  saw 
anything  done  more  neatly  than  that ! " 


[1691 


CHAPTER  XV 

Felix  Zary 

It  would  have  been  a  comparatively  easy  matter 
for  the  two  friends  to  have  slipped  out  of  the  house 
before  the  cripple  came  down  the  stairs  accompanied 
by  the  young  man  who  called  himself  Charles  Evors. 
The  front  door  was  still  open,  and  there  was  no  one 
to  bar  their  way.  Then  it  suddenly  occurred  to 
Gurdon  that  by  so  doing  they  would  betray  the 
secret  of  the  moveable  panel  which  communicated 
with  the  house  next  door. 

"It  would  never  do  to  go  away  like  this,"  he  said, 
hurriedly.  "  Besides,  it  is  more  than  likely  that  we 
shall  want  to  use  that  entrance  again.  We  shall 
have  to  run  the  risk  of  losing  sight  of  the  cripple; 
anything  is  better  than  leaving  that  panel  open  for 
the  servants  to  discover  in  the  morning." 

Venner  could  see  for  himself  at  once  that  there 
was  no  help  for  it,  so  without  any  further  discussion 
on  the  matter,  the  two  men  hurried  down  the  stairs, 
their  feet  making  no  noise  on  the  thick  carpet,  and 
then  they  darted  through  the  hole  into  the  house 
ne?ct  door.  It  was  only  the  work  of  a  moment  to  re- 
place the  panel,  but  hardlv  had  they  done  so  before 
[170] 


FELIX  ZARY 

they  heard  a  confused  murmur  of  voices  on  the 
other  side.  Gurdon  pressed  his  back  to  the  panel 
until  the  noise  of  the  voices  ceased. 

"That  was  a  pretty  close  call,"  he  said.  "Give 
me  the  mouldings  and  I  will  try  to  make  them  secure 
without  any  unnecessary  noise.  I  daresay  we  can 
get  the  nails  to  fit  the  same  holes.  Anyway,  there 
must  be  no  hammering,  or  we  shall  be  pretty  sure 
to  rouse  the  suspicions  of  the  people  next  door." 

It  was  perhaps  fortunate  that  the  mouldings 
fitted  so  well,  for  Gurdon  managed  to  work  the  nails 
into  the  original  holes  and  complete  a  more  or  less 
workmanhke  job  to  his  own  satisfaction.  Certainly, 
anybody  who  was  not  in  the  secret  would  never 
have  detected  anything  wTong  with  the  panels  or 
imagined  for  a  moment  that  they  had  been  so  re- 
cently moved. 

"That's  a  good  job  well  done,"  Venner  said. 

"Yes,  but  what  do  you  do  it  for.?  In  fact,  what 
are  you  two  gentlemen  doing  here  at  all  ?  " 

The  voice  came  with  a  startHng  suddenness.  It 
was  an  exceedingly  clear,  melodious  voice,  yet  with 
a  steely  ring  in  it.  The  two  friends  wheeled  round 
sharply  to  find  themselves  face  to  face  with  an  ex- 
ceedingly tall  individual,  whose  length  was  almost 
grotesquely  added  to  by  the  amazing  slimness  of 
his  figure.  In  that  respect  he  was  not  at  all  unlike 
the  tj-pe  of  human  skeleton  which  one  generally 
expects  to  find  in  a  travelling  circus,  or  some  show 
[171] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

of  that  kind.  The  man,  moreover,  was  dressed  in 
deep  black,  which  added  to  his  solemnity.  He  had 
an  exceedingly  long,  melancholy  face,  on  both  sides 
of  which  hung  a  mass  of  oily -looking  black  hair; 
his  nose,  too,  was  elongated  and  thin,  and  a  long 
drooping  moustache  concealed  his  mouth.  On 
the  whole  his  appearance  was  redeemed  from  the 
grotesque  by  an  extraordinary  pair  of  black  eyes, 
which  were  round  and  large  as  those  of  a  Persian 
cat.  Despite  the  man's  exceeding  thinness,  he  con- 
veyed a  certain  suggestion  of  strength.  At  that 
moment  he  had  a  handkerchief  between  his  fingers, 
and  Gurdon  could  see  that  his  wrists  were  supple 
and  pliable  as  if  they  had  been  made  of  indiarubber. 
Gurdon  had  heard  that  sort  of  hands  before  de- 
scribed as  conjurer's  hands.  As  he  looked  at  them 
he  half  expected  to  see  the  handkerchief  disappear 
and  an  orange  or  apple  or  something  of  that  kind 
take  its  place.  Then  the  stranger  coolly  walked 
across  the  hall  and  turned  up  another  of  the  lights. 
He  seemed  to  be  perfectly  at  home,  and  conveyed 
a  curious  impression  to  the  visitors  that  he  expected 
to  find  them  there. 

"  I  beg  to  remind  you  that  you  have  not  yet 
answered  my  question,"  he  said.  "What  are  you 
doing  here.''" 

"Let  me  answer  your  question  with  another,'* 
Venner  said.  "Who  are  you,  and  what  may  you 
be  doing  here  ?  " 

r  172  a 


FELIX  ZARY 

The  man  smiled  in  a  peculiar  fashion.  His 
big  black  eyes  seemed  to  radiate  sparks;  they  were 
luminous  and  full  of  vivid  fury,  though,  at  the  same 
time,  the  long  horse-like  face  never  for  a  moment 
lost  its  look  of  profound  dejection.  They  might 
have  been  eyes  gleaming  behind  a  dull,  painted 
mask. 

"We  will  come  to  that  presently,"  he  said.  "For 
the  moment  the  mention  of  my  name  must  content 
you.  It  is  just  possible  that  you  might  have  heard 
the  name  of  Fehx  Zary." 

Venner  and  Gurdon  fairly  started.  The  name 
of  Felix  Zary  was  familiar  to  them,  but  only  during 
the  last  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  In  fact,  that  was 
the  name  of  the  man  as  to  whose  whereabouts  Fen- 
wick  had  been  so  anxious  to  hear.  Here  was 
another  element  in  the  mystery,  which,  up  to 
this  moment,  had  not  advanced  very  far  towards 
solution. 

"I  have  heard  the  name  before,"  Venner  said, 
"but  only  quite  recently — within  the  last  hour,  in 
fact." 

"Oh,  yes,"  the  stranger  said,  "I  know  exactly 
what  you  mean.  You  probably  heard  it  next  door 
when  you  were  listening  so  intently  to  the  conversa- 
tion between  my  friend  Charles  Le  Fenu,  the  cripple, 
and  that  scoundrel  who  calls  himself  Fenwick.  He 
is  exceedingly  anxious  to  know  where  I  am,  though 
without  the  smallest  intention  of  benefitting  me. 
[173] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Before  long,  his  curiosity  will  be  gratified ;  but  not 
in  the  way  he  thinks." 

The  latter  words  came  from  the  speaker's  hps  with 
a  spitting  hiss,  such  as  a  cat  emits  in  the  presence  of 
a  dog.  The  great  round  black  eyes  added  intensity 
to  the  threat,  and  rendered  the  feline  simile  complete. 
The  prophecy  boded  ill  for  Fenwick  when  at  length 
he  and  Felix  Zary  came  face  to  face. 

"I  see  my  conjecture  is  quite  right,"  the  stranger 
went  on.  "And  as  to  you  gentlemen,  I  have  asked 
your  names  merely  as  a  matter  of  courtesy.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  I  know  perfectly  well  who  you  are — 
you  are  Mr.  Gerald  Venner  and  Mr.  James  Gurdon. 
But  there  is  one  thing  I  don't  know,  and  that  is  why 
you  have  thrust  yourself  into  this  diabolical  business. 
You  must  be  brave  men,  or  absolutely  unconscious 
of  the  terrible  danger  you  are  running.  If  either  of 
you  are  friends  of  Fenwick's " 

"Not  for  a  moment,"  Venner  cried.  "You  pay 
us  a  poor  compliment  indeed  if  you  take  us  to  be  in 
any  way  friendly  with  that  scoundrel." 

"And  yet  you  are  here,"  Zary  went  on.  "You 
are  spying  on  the  movements  of  my  friend,  Le  Fenu. 
You  have  contrived  to  obtain  possession  of  the  keys 
of  his  house  for  no  other  purpose.     Why .'' " 

Venner  paused  before  he  answered  the  question. 
He  did  not  recognise  the  right  of  this  man  to  put 
him  through  a  cross-examination.  Indeed,  it  seem- 
ed to  him,  the  less  he  said  the  better.  Perhaps 
[174] 


FELIX  ZARY 

Zaiy  saw  something  of  what  was  going  on  in  his 
mind,  for  his  big  black  eyes  smiled,  though  the 
dejected  visage  remained  the  same. 

"I  see,  you  do  not  trust  me,"  he  said.  "Perhaps 
you  are  right  to  be  cautious.  Let  me  ask  you  an- 
other question,  assuring  you  at  the  same  time  that 
I  am  the  friend  of  Charles  Le  Fenu  and  his  sisters, 
and  that  if  necessarj^  I  will  lay  down  my  life  to  save 
them  from  trouble.  Tell  me,  Mr.  Venner,  why  are 
you  so  interested  in  saving  the  girl  who  passes  for 
Fenwick's  daughter  from  her  miserable  position  ? 
Tell  me." 

Zary  came  a  step  or  two  closer  to  Venner  and 
looked  down  into  his  face  with  a  searching  yearning 
expression  in  those  magnetic  black  eyes.  The  appeal 
to  Venner  was  irresistible.  The  truth  rose  to  his 
lips;  it  refused  to  be  kept  back. 

"Because,"  he  said  slowly,  "because  she  is  my 
wife." 

A  great  sigh  of  relief  came  from  Zary. 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  he  said.  "  Exceedingly  glad. 
And  yet  I  had  suspected  something  of  the  kind. 
It  is  good  for  me  to  know  that  I  am  -VNith  friends,  and 
that  you  two  are  only  actuated  by  the  best  motives. 
For  some  days  now  I  have  had  you  under  close 
observation.  I  followed  you  here  to-night;  indeed, 
I  was  in  the  house  when  you  removed  those  panels. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  Mr.  Gurdon's  first  involuntary 
visit  here  absolutely  ruined  a  carefully  laid  plan  of 
[175] 


THE  IVIYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

mine  for  getting  Mark  Fenwick  into  my  hands. 
But  I  will  tell  you  later  on  all  about  the  mystery  of 
the  furnished  dining-room  and  how  and  why  the 
furniture  vanished  so  strangely.  When  I  followed 
you  here  to-night  I  was  quite  prepared  to  shoot  you 
both  if  necessary,  but  some  strange  impulse  came 
over  me  to  speak  to  you  and  ask  you  what  you  were 
doing.  I  am  rather  glad  I  did,  because  I  should  not 
like  to  have  a  tragedy  on  my  hands.  Now  would 
you  hke  to  come  with  me  as  far  as  my  own  rooms, 
where  I  shall  be  in  a  position  to  throw  a  little  light 
upon  a  dark  place  or  two  ^  " 

Venner  and  Gurdon  clutched  eagerly  at  the  sug- 
gestion. Without  further  words,  they  passed  into 
the  street,  and  would  have  walked  down  the  steps 
had  not  Zary  detained  them. 

"One  moment,"  he  whispered.  "Hang  back  in 
the  shadow  of  the  portico.  Don't  you  see  that  there 
are  two  or  three  men  on  the  steps  of  the  house  next 
door .''  Ah,  I  can  catch  the  tones  of  that  rascal  Fen- 
wick. If  only  that  vile  scoundrel  knew  how  close 
to  liim  I  was  at  the  present  moment!  But  let  us 
listen.     Perhaps  we  may  hear  something  useful." 

It  was  very  still  and  quiet  in  the  Square  now,  for 
the  hour  was  late,  and  therefore  the  voices  from  the 
portico  came  clear  and  distinct  to  the  listeners'  ears. 

"  What  is  the  good  of  it  ?  "  one  of  the  voices  said. 
*'Why  on  earth  can't  you  w^ait  till  morning.'     L-e 
Fenu  has  got  clear  away,  and  there  isn't  much  chance 
[176] 


FELIX  ZARY 

of  catching  him  again  in  a  hurry.     It  was  one  of  the 
coolest  things  I  have  seen  for  a  long  time." 

"Oh,  he  doesn't  lack  brains,  or  pluck  either," 
Fen  wick  said.  "I  should  have  been  proud  of  a 
trick  like  that  myself.  I  ought  to  have  poisoned  him 
"when  I  had  the  chance.  I  ought  to  have  got  him 
out  of  the  way  without  delay.  But  it  seemed  such 
a  safe  thing  to  kidnap  him  and  hide  him  in  his  own 
house,  where  we  could  go  on  with  our  work  without 
the  slightest  danger  or  interruption  from  those 
accursed  police.  And  then,  when  Fate  played  into 
our  hands  and  we  got  hold  of  Evors  as  well,  it  looked 
as  if  everything  was  going  our  way.  How  \"ou 
fools  ever  contrived  to  let  him  get  the  upper  hand 
of  you  is  more  than  I  can  understand." 

"  It  was  Jones's  fault, "  another  voice  growled. 
*'He  forgot  the  drug,  and  we  ran  clean  out  of  it. 
Then,  I  suppose,  we  got  interested  over  a  game  of 
cards,  and  one  way  and  another,  Evors  managed  to 
get  six  or  seven  hours'  sleep  without  having  any  of 
that  stuff  inside  him.  Bless  me,  if  it  wasn't  all  hke 
a  dream,  guv'nor.  There  we  were,  interested  in 
our  cards,  and  before  we  knew  w^here  we  were  our 
heads  were  banged  together,  and  I  was  lying  on  the 
floor  thinking  that  the  end  of  the  world  had  come. 
That  fellow  has  got  the  strength  of  the  very  devil 
itself." 

"Poor  weak  creature,"  Fenwick  sneered. 

"Weak-minded,    perhaps,    and    easilv    led,"    the 
12  [177] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

first  speaker  said.     "But  there  is  not  much  the 
matter  with  him  when  it  comes  to  fists." 

"We  can't  stop  chattering  here  all  night,"  Fen- 
wick  cried.  "It  is  all  very  well  for  you  men,  who 
don't  care  so  long  as  you  have  something  to  eat 
and  drink.  You  would  be  quite  satisfied  to  sit  like 
a  lot  of  hogs  in  a  sty  in  Le  Fenu's  house,  but  he'll 
certainly  be  back  in  the  morning  with  some  infernal 
scheme  or  other  for  getting  the  best  of  us.  Don't 
you  see  it  is  impossible  for  me  any  longer  to  play 
the  part  of  a  tenant  of  a  furnished  house,  now  that 
the  owner  of  the  house  is  at  large  again .''  It  is  a 
very  fortunate  thing,  too,  in  a  way,  that  I  can  pass 
all  you  people  off  as  my  servants.  Now  get  away 
at  once  and  do  as  I  tell  you.  As  for  me,  I  am  going 
to  take  a  cab  as  far  as  the  old  place  by  the  side  of 
the  river.  In  an  hour's  time  I  hope  to  be  on  my 
way  to  Canterbury.  Now,  you  are  quite  sure  you 
all  know  what  to  do  ?  It's  confoundedly  awkward 
to  have  one's  plans  upset  like  this,  but  a  clever  man 
always  has  an  alternative  scheme  on  hand,  and  I've 
got  mine.     There,  that  will  do.     Be  off  at  once." 

"That's  all  very  well,  guv'nor,"  another  voice 
said.  "It  is  easy  enough  to  put  the  door  on  the 
latch  and  turn  out  of  the  crib,  leaving  it  empty,  but 
what  about  the  girl  in  the  white  dress  ?  I  ain't 
very  scrupulous  as  a  rule,  but  it  seems  rather  cruel 
to  leave  the  poor  kid  behind  and  she  not  more  than 
half  right  in  her  head." 

[178] 


FELIX  ZARY 

"Devil  fly  away  with  the  girl,"  Fenwick  said 
passionately.  "  We  can  pick  her  up  at  any  time  we 
want  to.  Besides,  I  think  I  can  see  a  way  to  ar- 
range for  her  and  a  method  of  getting  her  out  of  the 
house  within  the  next  hour.  It  was  no  bad  thing 
for  men  who  get  their  living  as  we  do  when  some 
genius  invented  motor  cars.  Now  do  go  along  or 
we  shall  never  finish." 

The  httle  group  on  the  portico  steps  melted  away, 
and  one  by  one  the  slouching  figures  vanished  into 
the  darkness.  Zary  stepped  on  to  the  pavement, 
and  proceeded  to  open  the  front  door  of  the  next 
house.     It  yielded  to  his  touch. 

"  I  am  glad  of  this,"  he  said ;  "  and,  really,  we 
owe  quite  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  tender-hearted 
ruffian  who  was  averse  to  lea\nng  a  poor  girl  in  this 
house  all  alone.  We  will  spare  Fenwick  the  trouble 
of  any  inconvenience  so  far  as  she  is  concerned." 

So  saying,  Zary  proceeded  to  walk  up  the  stairs, 
turning  up  the  lights  as  he  went.  He  called  the 
name  of  Beth  softly  three  or  four  times,  and  presently 
a  door  opened  overhead  and  a  girl  in  a  white  dress 
came  out.  A  pleased  smile  spread  over  her  face  as 
she  looked  over  the  balusters  and  noted  the  caller. 

"  Felix,"  she  said  softly,  "  is  it  really  you  }  I  have 
been  hiding  myself  in  my  room  because  I  was  terri- 
fied, and  after  Charles  had  gone  those  men  quarrelled 
so  terribly  among  themselves !  I  suppose  Charles  for- 
got all  about  me  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment." 
[179] 


THE  ISIYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FING|:RS 

"Oh,  no,  he  didn't,  dear  one,"  Zary  said  very 
gently.  "He  would  have  come  back  to  you  in  any 
case.  But  I  am  going  to  take  you  away  from  this 
house  where  you  have  been  so  miserable;  I  am  go- 
ing to  see  that  you  are  not  molested  in  the  future." 

"That  is  all  very  well,"  Venner  interposed, 
"  but  where  can  the  young  lady  go .''  She  is  quite 
alone  and  helpless,  and  unless  you  have  some  rep- 
utable female  relation " 

"  It  is  not  a  matter  of  my  relations,"  Zary  smiled. 
*'Miss  Beth  will  go  to  one  who  is  her  natural  pro- 
tector, and  one  who  will  watch  over  her  welfare  with 
imceasing  care.  To  put  it  quite  plainly.  Miss  Beth 
is  going  to  the  Great  Empire  Hotel,  and  you  are 
going  to  take  her.  To-night  she  mil  sleep  under  the 
same  roof  as  her  sister." 

Venner  was  just  a  little  startled  by  the  suddenness 
of  the  proposal,  yet,  on  the  whole,  the  suggestion 
was  an  exceedingly  natural  one,  for  who  was  better 
capable  of  looking  after  the  unfortunate  Beth  than 
her  own  sister.'*  True,  the  hour  was  exceedingly 
late;  but  then  a  huge  place  Hke  the  Great  Empire 
Hotel  was  practically  open  night  and  day,  and  a 
request  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  that  a  guest 
in  the  house  should  be  awakened  to  receive  another 
guest  would  be  nothing  in  the  way  of  a  novelty. 

"  Very  well,"  Venner  said.  "  Let  her  put  on  her 
hat  and  jacket,  and  she  can  come  with  me  at  once." 

[ISO] 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Fenwick  Moves  Again 

Beth  raised  no  objection  to  the  programme;  in- 
deed, the  suggestion  seemed  to  fill  her  with  delight. 
She  would  not  be  a  moment,  she  said.  She  would 
put  certain  necessaries  in  a  handbag,  and  come  back 
for  the  rest  of  her  wardrobe  on  the  mon-ow.  Vernier 
had  expressed  a  desire  that  Zary  should  accompany 
him,  but  the  latter  shook  his  head  emphatically. 

"No,  no,"  he  said;  "you  are  going  alone.  As 
for  me,  I  have  important  business  on  hand  which 
will  not  brook  the  slightest  delay.  Mr.  Gurdon  had 
best  return  to  his  own  rooms ;  and,  for  his  omi  sake, 
I  would  advise  him  to  keep  in  the  middle  of  the 
road.  You  two  little  know  the  danger  you  incurred 
when  you  decided  to  thrust  your  head  into  this 
hornet's  nest.  Now  I  will  see  you  both  off  the 
premises  and  put  out  all  the  lights.  I  may  mention 
in  passing  that  I  have  a  latchkey  to  this  place. ' ' 

A  few  minutes  later  Venner  found  himself  walking 
down  the  deserted  streets  with  his  fair  little  com- 
panion hanging  on  his  arm.  She  chattered  to  him 
very  prettily  and  daintily,  but  there  was  a  great  deal 
in  her  remarks  which  conveyed  nothing  to  him 
[181]' 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

at  all.  She  constantly  alluded  to  matters  of  v»'hich 
he  was  entirely  ignorant,  apparently  taking  it  for 
granted  that  he  was  au  fait  with  what  she  was  say- 
ing. It  struck  Venner  that  though  not  exactly 
mentally  deficient,  she  was  suffering  from  weakness 
of  intellect,  brought  about,  probably,  by  some  great 
shock  or  terrible  sorrow.  On  the  whole,  he  was  not 
sorry  to  find  himself  in  the  great  hall  of  the  hotel, 
the  lights  of  which  were  still  burning,  and  where 
several  guests  were  lounging  for  a  final  cigar. 

"I  know  it  is  exceedingly  late,"  Venner  said  to 
the  clerk,  "  but  it  is  quite  imperative  that  this  young 
lady  should  see  Miss  Fenwick.  Will  you  be  good 
enough  to  send  up  to  her  room  and  tell  her  how  sorry 
I  am  to  disturb  her  at  this  time  of  night,  but  that  the 
matter  is  exceedingly  urgent  ?  " 

"Miss  Fenwick  is  not  in,  sir,"  came  the  startling 
response.  "She  went  out  shortly  after  eleven 
o'clock,  and  she  told  me  that  she  might  not  be  back 
for  some  considerable  time.  You  see,  she  wanted 
to  be  quite  sure  that  she  could  get  back  into  the  hotel 
at  any  time  she  returned.  Oh,  no  doubt  she  is 
returning,  or  I  don't  suppose  for  a  moment  that  she 
would  have  asked  me  all  those  questions." 

The  information  was  sufficiently  disturbing, 
but  there  was  no  help  for  it.  All  they  had  to  do  was 
to  sit  down  and  wait  patiently  till  Vera  came  back. 
They  were  not  in  the  least  likely  to  attract  any  atten- 
tion, seeing  that  several  men  in  evening  dress  to- 
[182] 


FENWICK  MOVES  AGAIN 

gether  with  their  wives  were  seated  in  the  hall  for 
a  final  chat  after  the  theatre  or  some  party  or  re- 
ception. In  her  long  white  frock,  partially  concealed 
by  a  cloak  and  hood,  Beth  would  have  easily  passed 
for  a  girl  fresh  from  a  theatre  or  a  dance.  It  was 
a  long  weary  wait  of  over  an  hour,  and  Venner  was 
feeling  distinctly  anxious,  when  the  big  folding  doors 
at  the  end  of  the  hall  opened  and  Vera's  tall,  grace- 
ful figure  emerged. 

"Here  is  your  sister,"  Venner  said.  There  was 
just  a  stern  suggestion  in  his  voice.  "Now,  you 
are  not  to  cry  or  make  any  scene,  you  are  not  to 
attract  any  attention  to  yourself,  but  take  it  all  for 
granted.  You  can  be  as  emotional  as  you  please 
when  you  are  alone  together  in  your  room." 

Vera  came  across  the  hall  in  a  jaded,  weary  way, 
as  if  she  were  thoroughly  tired  out.  Her  face  flushed 
a  little  as  she  recognised  Venner.  Then  she  looked 
at  his  companion  and  almost  paused,  while  the  blood 
ebbed  from  her  face,  leaving  it  deadly  pale. 

"Gerald,"  she  whispered.  "Gerald  and  Beth. 
What  does  it  mean  ?  What  strange  thing  has  hap- 
pened to  bring  you  both  together  here." 

"  Don't  make  a  scene,  for  goodness'  sake,"  Venner 
said.  "Take  it  as  calmly  as  you  can.  Unless  you 
are  self-possessed,  your  sister  is  sure  to  give  way, 
and  that  is  the  last  tiling  in  the  world  to  be  desired. 
I  cannot  possibly  stop  now  to  tell  you  all  the  ex- 
traordinary things  whicli  have  happened  to-night. 
[183] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Let  it  be  sufficient  to  say  that  it  is  absolutely  im- 
perative that  you  give  your  sister  shelter,  and  that 
nobody  but  yourself  should  know  where  she  is." 

"  But  how  did  you  find  her  ?  "  Vera  asked.  "  And 
who  was  it  suggested  that  you  should  bring  her  to 
me.?" 

"  Let  me  just  mention  the  name  of  Zary,"  Venner 
replied.  "Oh,  I  can  come  round  here  to-morrow 
and  tell  you  all  about  it.  If  you  think  that  there  is 
any  possible  danger " 

"Of  course  there  is  danger,"  Vera  said.  "Mr. 
Fenwick  may  be  back  at  any  moment.  He  does 
not  know  that  I  am  aware  that  my  sister  is  even 
alive.  If  he  became  acquainted  with  the  fact  that 
we  had  come  together  again,  ail  my  plans  would  be 
absolutely  ruined,  and  my  three  yesLTS  of  self-sacri- 
fice would  be  in  vain." 

"I  am  afraid  you  must  run  the  risk  now,"  Venner 
said.  "At  any  rate,  your  sister  will  have  to  stay 
here  till  the  morning.  It  is  perhaps  a  good  thing 
that  she  does  not  understand  what  is  going  on." 

Apparently  the  girl  had  no  real  comprehension 
of  all  the  anxieties  and  emotions  of  which  she  was 
unconsciously  the  centre.  She  was  holding  her  sis- 
ter's hand  now  and  smiling  tenderly  into  her  face, 
like  a  child  who  has  found  a  long-lost  friend. 

"You  may  rest  assured  on  one  point,"  Venner 
went  on.  "  For  the  present  there  is  not  the  slightest 
reason  to  fear  Fenwick.  He  has  had  a  great  shock 
[  184  ] 


FENWICK  MOVES  AGAIN 

to-night;  all  his  plans  have  been  upset,  and  he  finds 
himself  in  a  position  of  considerable  danger.  I  know 
for  a  fact  that  he  is  going  straight  away  to  Canter- 
bury, and  probably  by  this  time  he  is  on  his  way 
there.  According  to  what  your  mysterious  friend 
Zary  said,  he  had  some  plan  cut  and  dried  for  pro- 
viding for  your  sister's  safety  to-morrow.  Now 
take  the  poor  child  to  bed,  for  she  is  half  asleep 
already,  and  when  once  you  have  made  her  com- 
fortable I  want  you  to  come  down  again  and  have 
a  few  words  with  me.  You  need  not  hesitate ;  sure- 
ly a  man  can  talk  to  his  wife  whenever  he  pleases — 
and,  besides,  there  are  several  people  here  who  show 
not  the  slightest  signs  of  going  to  bed  yet." 

"Very  well,"  Vera  said.  "Come  along,  dear, 
I  see  you  are  dreadfully  sleepy — so  sleepy  that  you 
do  not  appear  to  recognise  the  sister  you  have  met 
for  the  first  time  for  three  years." 

Venner  had  time  to  smoke  the  best  part  of  a  cigar 
before  Vera  reappeared.  They  took  a  seat  in  a 
secluded  corner  of  the  hall,  where  it  was  possible 
to  talk  without  interruption. 

"Now,  please,  tell  me  everything,"  the  girl  said. 

*'  I  am  afraid  that  is  impossible,"  Venner  replied. 
"This  is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  and  com- 
plicated businesses  that  I  ever  heard  of.  In  the  first 
place,  I  came  to  England,  weary  and  worn  out  with 
my  search  for  you,  and  half  inclined  to  abandon  it 
altogether.  In  the  very  last  place  in  the  world 
[1S5] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

where  I  expect  to  meet  you,  I  come  in  contact  with 
you  in  this  hotel.  I  find  that  you  are  being  passed 
off  as  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  greatest  scoundrels 
who  ever  cheated  the  gallows.  But  that  does  not 
check  my  faith  in  you.  I  had  kept  my  trust  in  you 
intact.  Ever  since  you  left  me  on  the  day  of  our 
marriage  I  have  had  nothing  but  a  few  words  to 
explain  your  amazing  conduct;  and  now  here  am 
I  doing  my  best  to  free  you  from  the  chains  that 
bind  you,  and  all  the  while  you  seem  to  be  struggling 
to  hug  those  chains  about  you  and  to  baffle  all  my 
efforts.  Why  do  you  do  this  ?  What  is  the  secret 
that  you  conceal  so  carefully  from  the  man  who 
w^ould  do  anything  to  save  you  from  trouble,  from 
the  man  you  profess  to  love.'^  If  you  do  care  for 
me " 

"  Oh,  I  do  indeed,"  Vera  whispered.  There  were 
tears  in  her  eyes  now  and  her  cheeks  were  wet. 
*'  It  is  not  for  my  own  sake — it  is  for  the  sake  of  the 
poor  girl  upstairs.  I  had  promised  to  say  nothing 
of  that  to  anyone — to  try  and  save  her — and  I  left 
you  and  ran  the  risk  of  for  ever  forfeiting  your 
affection.  But  if  Beth  is  better  in  the  morning  I  will 
try  to  get  her  to  absolve  me  from  my  promise  and 
induce  her " 

"She  is  not  capable  of  giving  a   promise  of    re- 
scinding it,"  Venner  said.      "Don't  you  think  it 
would  be  far  better  if,  instead,    you  discussed  the 
matter  with  your  brother,  Charles  Le  Fenu  ?" 
[  ISO  ] 


FENWICK  MOVES  AGAIN 

"So  you  know  all  about  that?"  Vera  cried. 

"Yes,  I  do.  I  have  seen  him  to-night.  Gurdoa 
has  already  had  an  interview  with  him — an  inter- 
view that  almost  cost  him  his  Ufe.  We  have  been; 
having  some  pretty  fine  adventures  the  last  two  or 
three  days — but  if  it  all  ends  in  saving  you  and  lift- 
ing this  cloud  from  your  life  I  shall  be  well  content. 
I  am  not  going  to  ask  you  to  go  into  explanations 
now,  because  I  see  they  would  be  distasteful  to  you, 
and  because  you  have  given  some  fooUsh  promise 
which  you  are  loth  to  break.  But  tell  me  one  thing. 
You  said  just  now  that  you  had  not  seen  your  sister 
for  three  years,  though  she  has  been  Uving  wdth  your 
brother,  whom  you  visited  quite  recently." 

"That  is  easily  explained,"  Vera  said.  "It  was 
deemed  necessary  to  tell  Beth  one  or  two  fictions 
with  a  view  to  easing  her  mind  and  leaving  her  still 
with  some  slight  shadow  of  hope,  which  was  the  only 
means  of  preventing  her  reason  from  absolutely 
leaving  her.  These  fictions  entailed  my  keeping 
out  of  the  way.  Beth  is  exceedingly  different  from 
me,  as  you  know." 

"Indeed,  she  is,"  said  Venner,  smihng  for  the 
first  time.  "But  does  it  not  strike  you  as  an  ex- 
traordinary thing  that  I  should  be  fighting  in  this 
fierce  way  in  your  behalf,  and  that  you  should  be 
placing  negative  obstacles  in  my  way  all  the  time? 
I  won't  worry  you  any  more  to-night,  dearest — 
you  look  tired  and  worn  out.  You  had  better  go 
[187] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

to  your  own  room,  and  we  can  discuss  this  matter 
further  in  the  morning." 

It  was  dark  enough  and  sheltered  enough  in  that 
secluded  corner  of  the  hall  for  Venner  to  draw  the 
girl  towards  him  and  kiss  her  lips  passionately. 
Just  for  a  brief  moment  Vera  lay  in  her  husband's 
arms;  then,  with  a  little  sigh,  she  disengaged  her- 
self and  disappeared  slowly  up  the  stairs. 

She  had  placed  Beth  in  her  own  room,  which 
they  would  share  together  for  that  night,  at  any  rate. 
The  younger  girl  was  sleeping  placidly;  there  was 
a  smile  on  her  face — her  lips  were  parted  like  those 
of  one  who  is  utterly  and  entirely  happy.  She  made 
a  fair  picture  as  she  lay  there,  with  her  yellow  hair 
streaming  over  her  shoulders.  She  just  murmured 
something  in  her  sleep,  as  Vera  bent  over  her  and 
brushed  her  forehead  lightly  with  her  lips. 

"Oh,  I  wonder  how  long  this  cloud  will  last!" 
Vera  murmured — "how  much  longer  I  shall  be  till 
I  am  free!  How  terrible  it  is  to  have  the  offer  of 
a  good  man's  love,  and  be  compelled  to  spoil  it  as  I 
do,  or,  at  least,  as  I  appear  to  do.  And  yet  I  should 
be  a  happy  woman  if  I  could  only  throw  off  these 
shackles " 

Vera  paused,  unable  to  say  more,  for  something 
seemed  to  rise  in  her  throat  and  choke  her.  She 
was  utterly  tired  and  worn  out,  almost  too  tired  to 
undress  and  get  into  bed — and  yet  once  her  head  was 
on  the  pillow  she  could  not  sleep;  she  tossed  and 
[188] 


FENWICK  MO\Ti:S  AGAIN 

turned  wearily.  All  London  seemed  to  be  trans- 
formed into  one  noisy  collection  of  clocks.  The  noise 
and  the  din  seemed  to  stun  Vera  and  throb  through 
her  head  like  the  beating  of  hammers  on  her  brain.] 
She  fell  off  presently  into  a  troubled  sleep,  which 
was  full  of  dreams.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  was 
locked  in  a  safe,  and  that  somebody  outside  was 
hammering  at  the  walls  to  let  her  free.  Then  she 
became  conscious  of  the  fact  that  somebody  really 
was  knocking  at  the  door.  As  Vera  stumbled  out 
of  bed  a  clock  somewhere  struck  three.  She  flicked 
up  the  light  and  opened  the  door.  A  sleepy-looking 
chambermaid  handed  her  a  note,  which  was  marked 
"Urgent"  on  the  envelope.  With  a  thrill,  she  re- 
cognised the  handwriting  of  Mark  Fenwick.  What 
new  disaster  was  here?  she  wondered. 

"Is  there  anybody  waiting  for  an  answer .''" 
she  asked  trembHngly.  "Is  the  messenger  down- 
stairs ^  " 

"Yes,  miss,"  the  sleepy  chambermaid  replied. 
"  It  was  brought  by  a  gentleman  in  a  motor.  I  told 
him  you  were  in  bed  and  fast  asleep,  but  he  said  it 
was  of  the  greatest  importance  and  I  was  to  wake 
you.     Perhaps  you  had  better  read  it." 

With  a  hand  that  trembled  terribly.  Vera  tore  open 
the  envelope.  There  were  only  two  or  three  lines 
there  in  Fenwick's  stiff  handwriting;  they  were  curt 
and  discourteous,  and  very  much  to  the  point. 
They  ran  as  follows — 

[1S9] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"  I  am  writing  you  this  from  Canterbury,  where  I 
have  been  for  the  last  hour,  and  where  I  have  im- 
portant business.  I  have  sent  one  of  the  cars  over 
for  you,  and  you  are  to  come  back  at  once.  What- 
ever happens,  see  that  you  obey  me." 

"You  will  tell  the  gentleman  I  will  be  down  in 
a  few  moments,"  Vera  said.  "I  will  not  detain 
him  any  longer  than  I  can  help." 

"  What  is  to  be  done  ?  "  the  girl  wondered  directly 
she  was  alone.  She  felt  that  she  dared  not  disobey 
this  command;  she  would  have  to  go  at  all  costs. 
She  knew  by  bitter  experience  that  Fenwick  was  not 
the  man  to  brook  contradiction.  Besides,  at  the 
present  moment  it  would  be  a  fatal  thing  to  rouse 
his  suspicions.  And  yet,  she  felt  how  impossible 
it  was  for  her  to  leave  Beth  here  in  the  circumstances. 
Nor  could  she  see  her  way  to  call  up  Venner  at  this 
hour  and  explain  what  had  happened.  All  she 
could  do  was  to  scribble  a  short  note  to  him  with  a 
view  to  explaining  the  outline  of  the  new  situation. 
Ten  minutes  later  she  was  downstairs  in  the  hall, 
where  she  found  the  man  awaiting  her.  He  was 
clad  in  furs,  his  motor  cap  was  pulled  over  his  eyes 
as  if  he  shrank  from  observation;  but  all  the  same 
Vera  recognised  him. 

"  So  it  is  you,  Jones,"  she  said.  "  Do  you  know 
that  you  have  been  sent  all  the  way  from  Canterbury 
to  fetch  me  at  this  time  in  the  morning  ?  It  is  per- 
[190] 


FENWICK  MOVES  AGAIN 

fectly  monstrous  that  I  should  be  dragged  out  of 
bed  Uke  this;   perfectly  disgraceful!" 

"I  don't  know  anything  about  that,  miss,"  the 
man  said  sullenly.  "  It  is  the  guv'nor's  orders,  and 
he  gave  me  pretty  plainly  to  understand  that  he 
would  want  to  know  the  reason  why  if  I  came  back 
without  you.     Don't  blame  me." 

"I'm  not  blaming  you  at  all,"  Vera  said,  coldly. 
"  Nor  am  I  going  to  stand  here  bandying  words  with 
you.  I  will  just  go  to  my  room  and  put  on  a  fur 
coat — then  I  shall  be  ready." 

"Very  well,  miss.  That's  the  proper  way  to 
take  it.     But  where  is  the  other  young  lady .'' " 

Vera's  heart  fairly  stood'  still  for  a  moment. 
Fenwick's  note  had  said  nothing  about  her  sister, 
though  this  man  seemed  to  be  aware  of  the  fact  that 
she  was  here.  There  was  only  one  thing  for  it,  and 
that  was  to  lie  boldly  and  without  hesitation.  She 
looked  the  speaker  in  the  face  in  blank  astonishment. 

"I  fail  to  understand  you,"  she  said.  "There 
is  nobody  here  but  me;  there  could  be  nobody  here 
but  me.  And  now  I  have  nothing  further  to  say. 
One  moment  and  I  will  be  with  you." 


[191] 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Merton  Grange 

Vera  came  down  a  few  moments  later  ready  for 
her  journey.  Now  that  she  had  had  time  to  think 
matters  over,  she  was  looking  forward  with  some 
dread  to  her  forthcoming  interview  with  Mark  Fen- 
wick.  Surely  something  out  of  the  common  must 
have  taken  place,  or  he  would  never  have  sent  for 
her  at  such  an  extraordinary  time,  and  Vera  had 
always  one  thing  to  contend  with;  she  had  not  for- 
gotten, in  fact,  she  could  not  forget,  that  for  the  last 
three  years  she  had  been  engaged  in  plotting  steadily 
against  the  man  by  whose  name  she  was  known. 
Moreover,  she  was  not  in  the  least  blind  to  Fenwick's 
astuteness,  and  there  was  always  the  unpleasant 
feeling  that  he  might  be  playing  with  her.  She  had 
always  loathed  and  detested  this  man  from  the  bot- 
tom of  her  soul ;  there  were  times  when  she  doubted 
whether  or  not  he  was  a  relation  of  hers.  As  far  as 
Vera  knew,  he  was  supposed  to  be  her  mother's 
half-brother,  and  so  much  as  this  she  owed  the  man — 
he  had  come  to  her  at  the  time  when  she  was  nearly 
destitute,  and  in  no  position  to  turn  her  back  on  his 
advances.  That  it  suited  Fenwick  to  have  a  well- 
bred  and  graceful  girl  about  him,  she  knew  perfectly 
[192  1 


MERTON  GRANGE 

well.  But  long  before  would  she  have  left  him,  only 
she  was  quite  certain  that  Fenwick  was  at  the  bottom 
of  the  dreadful  business  which  had  resulted  in  Beth's 
deplorable  state  of  mind. 

But  as  to  all  this,  Vera  could  say  nothing  at  the 
moment.  All  she  had  to  do  now  was  to  guard  herself 
against  a  surprise  on  the  part  of  Fenwick.  She  had 
been  startled  by  the  mere  suggestion  on  the  part  of 
her  companion  that  she  had  not  been  alone  at  the 
Great  Empire  Hotel.  Much  as  she  would  have 
liked  illumination  on  this  point,  she  had  the  prudence 
to  say  nothing.  Silently  she  stepped  into  the  car, 
a  big  Mercedes  with  great  glaring  eyes;  silently, 
too,  she  was  borne  along  the  empty  streets.  It 
wanted  yet  tliree  hours  to  daylight,  and  Vera  asked 
how  long  they  would  be  in  reaching  their  destination. 
Her  companion  put  on  speed  once  the  outskirts  of 
town  were  reached.  Vera  could  feel  the  cold  air 
streaming  past  her  face  like  a  touch  of  ice. 

"Oh,  about  an  hour  and  a  half,"  the  driver  said 
carelessly.  "  I  suppose  it  is  about  fifty-five  miles. 
With  these  big  lamps  and  these  clear  roads  we'll 
just  fly  along." 

The  speaker  touched  a  lever,  and  the  car  seemed 
to  jump  over  the  smooth  roads.  The  hedges  and 
houses  flew  by  and  the  whole  earth  seemed  to  Aibrate 
to  the  roar  and  rattle  of  the  car.  It  was  Vera's 
first  experience  of  anj^hing  like  racing,  and  she  held 
her  breath  in  terror. 

13  [  193  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"  What  would  happen  if  a  wheel  gave  way  ?  "  she 
asked.  She  had  muffled  her  face  in  her  veil,  so 
that  she  could  breathe  more  freely  now.  "Surely 
a  pace  like  this  is  dangerous." 

"You  have  to  take  risks,  miss,"  the  driver  said 
coolly.  "We  are  moving  at  about  five  and  forty 
miles  an  hour  now.  I'm  very  sorry  if  it  makes  you 
nervous,  but  my  instructions  were  to  get  back  as 
quickly  as  possible." 

*'  I  don't  feel  exactly  nervous,"  Vera  said. 

"Oh,  no,  you  are  getting  over  it.  Everybody 
does  after  the  first  few  moments.  When  you  get 
used  to  the  motion  you  will  like  it.  It  gives  you  a 
feeling  like  a  glass  of  champagne  when  your're 
tired.     You'll  see  for  yourself  presently." 

Surely  enough  Vera  did  see  for  herself  presently. 
As  the  feeling  of  timidity  and  unfamiliarity  wore  off 
she  began  to  be  conscious  of  a  glow  in  her  blood  as 
if  she  were  breathing  some  pure  mountain  air.  The 
breeze  fairly  sang  past  her  ears,  the  car  ran  more 
smoothly  now  with  nothing  to  check  its  movement, 
and  Vera  could  have  sung  aloud  for  the  very  joy 
of  living.  She  began  to  understand  the  vivid  pleas- 
ure of  motoring ;  she  could  even  make  an  excuse  for 
those  who  travelled  the  high  roads  at  top  speed. 
Xong  before  she  had  reached  her  destination  she  had 
forgotten  everything  else  beside  the  pure  delight  of 
that  trip  in  the  dark. 

"Here  we  are,  miss,"  the  driver  said  at  length, 
[194] 


MERTON  GRANGE 

as  he  turned  in  through  a  pair  of  huge  iron  gates. 
"  It's  about  a  mile  up  the  avenue  to  the  house — but 
you  can  see  the  hghts  in  front  of  you."' 

"  Have  we  really  come  all  that  way  in  this  short 
time?"  Vera  asked.  "It  only  seems  about  ten 
minutes  since  we  started." 

The  driver  made  no  reply,  and  Vera  had  little 
time  to  look  curiously  about  her.  So  far  as  she  could 
judge,  they  were  in  a  large  park,  filled  with  magni- 
ficent oak  trees.  Here  and  there  through  the  gloom 
she  seemed  to  see  shadowy  figures  flitting,  and  these 
she  assumed  to  be  deer.  On  each  side  of  the  av- 
enue rose  a  noble  line  of  elm  trees,  beyond  which 
were  the  gardens ;  then  a  series  of  terraces,  culminat- 
ing in  a  fine  house  of  the  late  Tudor  period. 
Beyond  question,  it  was  a  fine  old  family  mansion 
in  which  Fenwick  had  taken  up  his  quarters  for  the 
present. 

"  Wliat  do  you  call  the  place  ?  "  Vera  asked. 

"This  is  Merton  Grange,  miss,"  the  driver  ex- 
plained. "It  belongs  to  Lord  Somebody  or  an- 
other, I  forget  his  name.  Anyway,  he  has  had  to 
let  the  house  for  a  time  and  go  abroad.  You  had 
better  get  out  here,  and  I'll  take  the  car  to  the  garage. 
I  wouldn't  ring  the  bell  if  I  were  you,  miss.  I'd 
just  walk  straight  into  the  house.  You'll  find  the 
door  open  and  the  guv'nor  ready  to  receive  you. 
He  is  sure  to  have  heard  the  car  coming  up  the 
drive." 

[195] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Vera  descended  and  walked  up  the  flight  of  steps 
which  led  to  a  noble  portico.  Here  was  a  great 
massive  oak  door,  which  looked  as  if  it  required  the 
strength  of  a  strong  man  to  open  it,  but  it  yielded  to 
Vera's  touch,  and  a  moment  later  she  was  standing 
in  the  great  hall. 

Tired  as  she  was  and  frightened  as  she  was  feeling 
now,  she  could  not  but  admire  the  beauty  and  sym- 
metry of  the  place.  Like  most  historic  mansions  of 
to-day,  the  place  had  been  fitted  with  electric  light, 
and  a  soft  illuminating  flood  of  it  filled  the  hall.. 
It  was  a  magnificent  oak-panelled  apartment,  filled 
with  old  armor  and  trophies,  and  lined  with  portraits 
of  the  owner's  ancestors.  It  seemed  to  Vera  that 
anybody  might  be  happy  here.  It  also  seemed 
strange  to  her  that  a  man  of  Fenwick's  type  should 
choose  a  place  like  this  for  his  habitation.  She  was 
destined  to  know  later  what  Fenwick  had  in  his  mind 
when  he  came  here. 

Vera's  meditations  were  cut  short  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  man  himself.  To  her  surprise  she 
noted  that  he  was  dressed  in  some  blue  material, 
just  like  an  engineer  on  board  ship.  His  hands  were 
grimy,  too,  as  if  he  had  been  indulging  in  some 
mechanical  work.      He  nodded  curtly  to  the  girl. 

"So  you've  come  at  last,"  he  said.     "I  daresay 

you  wonder  why  I  sent  for  you.     There  is  a  little 

room  at  the  back  yonder,  behind  the  draAving-room, 

that  I  have  turned  into  a  study.     Go  in  there  and 

[196] 


MERTON  GRANGE 

wait  for  me,  and  I'll  come  to  you  as  soon  as  I  have 
washed  my  hands.  I  hope  you  have  brought  all 
you  want  with  you;  for  there  is  precious  little  ac- 
commodation for  your  sex  here  at  present.  You 
can  take  your  choice  of  bed-rooms — there  are  enough 
of  those  and  to  spare.  I  have  something  serious  to 
say  to  you." 

With  a  sinking  at  her  heart  Vera  passed  into 
the  little  room  that  Fenwick  had  pointed  out  to  her. 
At  any  other  time  she  would  have  admired  the  old 
furniture  and  the  elegant  refined  simplicity  of  it  all; 
now  she  had  other  things  to  think  of.  She  stood 
warming  her  hands  at  the  fire  till  Fenwick  came 
in  and  carefully  closed  the  door  behind  him. 

"Now  we  can  get  to  business,"  he  said.  "I 
daresay  you  wonder  why  I  sent  for  you  instead  of 
leaving  you  in  London  for  the  present.  Up  to  now 
I  have  always  regarded  you  as  perfectly  safe — indeed, 
I  thought  you  were  sufficiently  grateful  to  me  for  all 
my  kindness  to  you.     I  find  I  am  mistaken." 

Vera  looked  up  with  a  challenge  in  her  eyes. 
She  knew  that  she  had  something  to  face  now,  and 
she  meant  to  see  it  through  without  showing  the 
white  feather.  She  was  braced  up  and  ready,  now 
that  the  moment  for  action  had  come. 

"Have  you  ever  really  been  kind  to  me?"  she 
challenged.  "  I  mean,  have  you  really  been  kind  to 
me  for  my  own  sake,  and  out  of  pure  good-nature  ? 
I  very  much  doubt  it." 

[197] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"This  is  your  gratitude,"  Fenwick  sneered.  "I 
think  we  had  better  understand  one  another," 

"I  would  give  a  great  deal  to  understand  you," 
the  girl  said  boldly.  "But  we  are  wasting  time 
fencing  here  like  this,  and  I  am  very  tired.  You 
sent  for  me  at  this  extraordinary  hour,  and  I  came. 
I  have  every  right  to  know  why  you  asked  me  to 
come  here." 

"Sit  down,"  Fenwick  growled.  "I  sent  for  you 
because  I  did  not  trust  you.  I  sent  for  you  because 
you  have  betrayed  your  promise.  You  are  doing 
something  that  you  told  me  you  would  not  do." 

"And  what  is  that.'*"  Vera  asked. 

"  Just  as  if  you  did  not  know.  Let  us  go  back 
a  bit,  back  three  years  and  a  half  ago.  Your  father 
was  aUve  in  those  days;  it  was  just  before  he  met 
his  death  in  Mexico." 

"I  remember  perfectly  well,"  Vera  said,  quietly. 
"I  am  not  likely  to  forget  the  time.  Pray  con- 
tinue." 

"Have  patience  please,  I  am  coming  to  it  all  in 
time.  Your  father  died  more  or  less  mysteriously, 
but  there  is  not  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  he  was 
murdered.  Nobody  knows  how  he  was  murdered, 
but  a  good  many  people  behind  the  scenes  can  guess 
why.  The  thing  was  hushed  up,  possibly  because 
the  tragedy  took  place  in  so  remote  a  corner  of  the 
world — possibly  because  the  authorities  were  bribed. 
Tell  me  the  name  of  the  man,  or,  at  least,  tell  me 
[198] 


MEllTON  GRANGE 

the  name  of  the  one  man  who  was  with  your  father 
at  the  time  of  his  death." 

Vera's  face  paled  slightly,  but  she  kept  her  eyes 
steadily  fixed  on  her  companion's  face.  She  began 
to  understand  where  the  point  of  the  torture  was 
coming  in. 

"I  will  not  affect  to  misunderstand  you,"  she 
said.  "The  man  who  was  with  my  father  at  that 
time  was  Mr.  Charles  Evors.  He  was  a  sort  of 
pupil  of  my  father's,  and  had  more  than  once 
accompanied  him  on  his  excursions.  You  want  to 
insinuate  that  my  father  met  liis  death  at  the  hands 
of  this  young  man,  who,  overcome  by  certain  temp- 
tation and  a  desire  to  obtain  the  secret  of  the  Four 
Finger  Mine,  murdered  his  master.^  " 

"I  am  in  a  position  to  prove  it,"  Fenwick  said 
sternly.  "I  have  given  you  practical  proof  of  it, 
more  than  once.  Why  should  I  have  interfered  in 
the  way  I  did,  unless  it  was  that  I  desired  to  save 
you  pain?  I  could  have  brought  the  whole  thing 
into  the  light  of  day,  but  I  refrained  from  doing  so 
because,  it  seemed  to  me,  nothing  could  be  gained 
by  bringing  the  criminal  to  justice.  I  had  another 
reason,  too,  as  you  know." 

"Yes,  I  am  aware  of  that,"  Vera  said.  "I  could 
never  make  it  out — I  could  never  really  believe  that 
Charles  Evors  was  guilty  of  that  dreadful  crime. 
He  was  so  frank  and  true,  so  kind  to  everybody! 
I  know  he  was  weak — I  know  that  he  had  been 
[199] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

sent  away  from  England  because  he  had  fallen  into 
bad  company ;  I  know,  too,  that  he  was  a  little  fond 
of  drink.  There  was  only  one  point  on  which  he 
was  reticent — he  never  spoke  much  about  his  people; 
but  I  rather  gathered  that  they  were  in  a  high 
position." 

"  They  were,"  Fenwick  grinned.  "  You'd  be  sur- 
prised if  you  knew  how  high  a  position.     But  go  on." 

"I  was  saying  that  I  could  not  credit  Charles 
Evors  with  such  a  crime.  A  man  who  is  so  fond  of 
children,  so  sympathetic  to  things  weaker  than  him- 
self, could  not  have  taken  the  life  of  a  fellow-creature. 
He  was  fond  of  my  father,  too,  but  that  was  not  the 
strangest  feature  of  the  mystery.  Do  you  suppose 
for  a  moment  that  the  man  who  was  engaged  to  be 
married  to  my  sister  could  have  laid  violent  hands 
on  her  father .?" 

"But  he  did  do  it,"  Fenwick  cried  impatiently. 
"Otherwise  why  did  he  vanish  so  mysteriously.^ 
Why  did  he  go  away  and  leave  us  to  infer  that  he 
had  perished  at  sea?  It  was  the  kindest  thing  we 
could  do  to  let  your  sister  think  that  her  lover  was 
dead,  though  the  shock  seems  to  have  deprived  her 
of  her  reason;  and,  though  I  acted  all  for  the  best, 
your  brother  chose  to  proclaim  me  an  abandoned 
scoundrel,  and  to  say  that  your  father's  death  lay  at 
my  door.  You  know  why  it  became  necessary  for 
you  to  remain  with  me  and  treat  your  brother  hence- 
forth as  a  stranger.  You  volunteered  to  do  it,  you 
[200] 


MERTON  GRANGE 

volunteered  to  turn  your  back  on  your  family  and 
remain  with  me.     Why  did  you  do  so  ?  " 

No  reply  came  from  Yera's  lips.  It  seemed  to 
her  that  her  safest  course  lay  in  silence.  To  her 
great  relief,  Fenwick  went  on  without  waiting  for 
an  answer. 

"  Now  I  am  coming  to  my  point,"  he  said.  "  You 
have  broken  faith  with  me.  Three  or  four  times 
since  we  came  to  England  you  have  seen  your 
brother.  You  have  seen  him  by  stealth;  you  know 
all  about  that  strange  household  in  Portsmouth 
Square  where  he  chooses  to  hide  himseK  under  the 
name  of  Bates.  I  want  to  know  why  it  is  that  you 
have  chosen  to  break  your  word  with  me  ?  I  have 
had  you  watched  to-night,  and  I  have  learned  all 
your  movements  by  means  of  the  telephone.  Y^ou 
will  stay  down  here  during  my  pleasure.  If  you  fail 
to  do  so,  or  if  you  try  to  deceive  me  again,  as  sure 
as  I  stand  here  at  the  present  moment  I  will  betray 
Charles  Evors  into  the  hands  of  the  police.  Now 
look  me  in  the  face  and  answer  my  question  truth- 
fully.    Do  you  know  where  that  young  man  is  ? " 

It  was  fortunate  for  Vera  that  she  could  reply  in 
the  negative.  A  few  more  hours,  perhaps,  and  she 
might  have  been  able  to  afford  the  information ;  but, 
luckily  for  her,  the  starthng  events  that  had  recently 
taken  place  in  Portsmouth  Square  were  not  known 
to  her  in  their  entirety.  She  could  look  Fenwick  in 
the  face. 

[201] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"  I  don't,"  she  said.  "  I  have  never  seen  him  since 
that  fateful  morning — but  I  don't  care  to  go  into 
that.  I  admit  that  I  have  seen  my  brother.  I  ad- 
mit, too,  that  I  have  seen  my  sister;  the  temptation 
to  find  them  and  see  them  once  more  was  too  strong 
for  me.  You  will  not  be  surprised  to  find  that  I 
have  some  natural  feelings  left.  It  is  not  so  very 
extraordinary." 

Fenwick  shot  a  suspicious  glance  at  Vera,  but 
she  was  gazing  into  the  fire  with  a  thoughtful  look. 
She  was  acting  her  part  splendidly;  she  was  de- 
ceiving this  man  who,  as  a  rule,  could  read  the 
thoughts  of  most  people. 

"Perhaps  you  are  right,"  he  said  doubtfully. 
"But  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure  you  are  going 
to  help  me  out  of  a  difficulty.  I  suppose  you  have 
not  forgotten  Felix  Zary.^" 

"No,"  Vera  said,  in  a  curiously  low  voice.  "I 
have  not  forgotten  my  father's  faithful  companion. 
I  should  very  much  like  to  see  him  again.  If  you 
know  where  he  is " 

"  Oh,  I  know  where  he  is,"  Fenwick  said  with  a 
laugh.  "  We  will  have  him  down  here  as  a  pleasant 
surprise.  That  is  all  I  want  you  to  do — I  want  you 
to  write  a  letter  to  Zary,  telling  him  that  you  are  in 
great  trouble,  and  asking  him  to  come  down  here 
and  see  you  at  once.  I  should  like  you  to  write 
that  letter  now." 

[202] 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

A  Couple  of  Visitors 

Something  in  the  tone  of  Fenwick's  voice  caused 
Vera  to  look  up  hastily.  Perhaps  it  was  her  imagin- 
ation that  in  the  unsteady  Hght  of  the  flickering  fire 
his  face  seemed  to  have  changed  almost  beyond 
recognition.  The  features  were  dark  and  murderous 
and  the  eyes  were  full  of  a  lust  for  vengeance.  It 
was  only  just  for  a  moment — then  the  man  became 
his  normal  self  again,  just  as  if  nothing  had  happen- 
ed. A  violent  shudder  passed  over  Vera's  frame, 
but  Fenwick  appeared  to  notice  nothing  of  this. 

"You  want  me  to  write  that  letter  now.'"  she 
asked. 

"At  once,"  Fenwick  responded.  "I  don  t  mind 
telling  you  that  I  am  in  great  trouble  over  business 
matters;  there  is  a  conspiracy  on  foot  amongst 
certain  people  to  get  me  into  trouble.  I  may  even 
find  myself  inside  the  walls  of  a  prison.  The  man 
w^ho  can  save  me  from  all  this  is  your  friend,  FeUx 
Zary.  Unfortunately  for  me,  the  man  has  the  bad 
taste  to  dislike  me  exceedingly.  He  seems  to  think 
that  I  was  in  some  way  responsible  for  your  father's 
death.  And,  as  you  know,  he  loved  your  father  with 
[  203  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

a  devotion  that  was  almost  dog-like.  If  I  could  get 
Zary  down  here  I  should  have  no  difficulty  in  con- 
vincing him  that  he  was  wrong.  But  he  would  not 
come  near  the  place  so  long  as  he  knew  that  I  was 
present;  so,  therefore,  I  want  you  to  write  to  him 
and  conceal  the  fact  that  I  am  on  the  premises. 
Directly  he  gets  your  letter  he  will  come  at  once." 

"I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  of  it,"  Vera  said 
slowly.  "There  is  nothing  that  Zary  would  not 
do  for  one  of  us,  if  you  will  assure  me  that  you  mean 
no  harm  by  him " 

"  Harm  ?  "  Fenwick  shouted.  "  What  harm  could 
I  do  the  man  ?  Didn't  I  tell  you  just  now  that  I 
want  him  to  do  me  a  service?  One  does  not 
generally  ill-treat  those  who  are  in  a  position  to  be- 
stow favors.  Now  sit  down  like  the  good  girl  that 
you  are,  and  write  that  letter  at  once.  Then  vou 
can  go  to  bed." 

"I  will  write  it  in  the  morning,"  Vera  said. 
*' Surely  there  cannot  be  all  this  desperate  hurry. 
If  the  letter  is  written  before  the  post  goes  out  to- 
morrow afternoon  it  will  be  in  good  time.  I  am 
much  too  tired  to  do  it  now." 

Just  for  a  moment  Fenwick's  eyes  blazed  angrily 
again.  It  seemed  to  Vera  that  the  man  was  about 
to  burst  forth  into  a  storm  of  passion.  The  hot 
words  did  not  come,  however,  for  Fenwick  restrained 
himself.  Perhaps  he  was  afraid  of  going  a  little  too 
far;  perhaps  he  was  afraid  of  arousing  Vera's 
[204] 


COUPLE  OF  VISITORS 

suspicions,  and  thus  defeating  his  own  object  by  a 
refusal  on  her  part  to  write  the  letter.  He  knew 
from  past  experience  that  she  could  be  as  firm  of 
purpose  as  himself  if  she  chose. 

"Very  well,"  he  said,  with  an  almost  grotesque 
attempt  at  good-humor.  "You  look  very  tired  to- 
night, and  I  daresay  you  have  had  a  fatiguing  journey 
— and,  after  all,  there  is  no  great  hurry.  I  will 
show  you  up  to  the  room  which  I  have  set  apart  for 
your  use." 

Vera  was  only  too  giad  to  get  away.  Despite  her 
strange  surroundings,  and  despite  the  sense  of 
coming  danger,  she  threw  herself  on  the  bed  and 
slept  the  sleep  of  utter  exhaustion.  It  was  getting 
towards  noon  before  she  came  back  to  herself, 
invigorated  and  refreshed  by  her  long  rest. 

So  far  as  the  girl  could  see,  there  were  no  servants 
in  the  house  at  present  besides  an  old  retainer  of 
the  family  and  her  husband.  Fenwick  had  made 
some  excuse  about  the  staff  of  domestics  who  were  to 
follow  later  on;  but  up  to  now  he  only  had  about 
him  the  men  whom  Vera  had  known  more  or  less 
well  for  the  last  two  years.  The  meals  appeared  to 
be  served  in  a  remarkably  irregular  fashion;  even 
the  lunch  was  partaken  of  hurriedly  by  Fenwick, 
who  pleaded  the  pressure  of  business. 

"  I  can't  stop  a  minute,"  he  said.  "  I  have  more 
to  do  now  than  I  can  manage.  I  should  just  hke 
to  have  a  look  at  that  letter  that  vou  have  written 
[205] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

to  Zary.  There  is  no  excuse  for  not  doing  it  now, 
and  I  want  to  put  it  in  the  post-bag." 

"Very  well,"  Vera  said  serenely.  "If  you  will 
come  with  me  to  the  library  you  will  see  exactly 
what  I  write.  I  know  you  are  a  suspicious  man  and 
that  you  don't  trust  anybody,  therefore  I  shall  be 
very  glad  for  you  to  know  that  I  have  carried  out 
your  request  to  the  letter." 

Fenwick  laughed  as  if  something  had  pleased 
him.  Nevertheless,  he  looked  over  Vera's  shoulder 
until  she  had  penned  the  last  word.  She  slowly 
folded  up  the  communication  and  sealed  it. 

"How  am  I  to  address  the  envelope?"  she  said. 
"I  have  not  the  slightest  idea  where  Zary  is  to  be 
found.  For  all  I  know  to  the  contrar}',  he  may  not 
even  be  in  England." 

"Oh,  yes,  he  is,"  Fenwick  chuckled.  "He  is 
in  London  at  the  present  moment.  If  you  address 
that  letter,  17,  Paradise  Street,  CamberweU,  Zary 
will  be  in  receipt  of  it  to-morrow  morning." 

Vera  wrote  the  address  boldly  and  firmly,  and 
handed  the  letter  with  more  or  less  contempt  to 
her  companion.  She  wanted  him  to  feel  that  she 
held  his  suspicions  with  scorn.  She  wanted  him 
to  know  that  so  far  as  she  was  concerned  here  was 
an  end  of  the  matter.  Nevertheless,  she  followed 
him  carelessly  from  the  room  and  saw  him  place 
the  letter,  together  with  others,  on  the  hall  table. 
A  moment  later  he  had  vanished,  and  she  was  left 
[206] 


A  COUPLE  OF  VISITORS 

alone  to  act  promptly.  She  did  not  hesitate  for  a 
moment;  she  made  her  way  back  to  the  drawing- 
room  and  addressed  a  second  envelope  to  the  house 
in  Paradise  Street,  into  which  envelope  she  slipped 
a  blank  sheet  of  notepaper.  Then  she  stamped  the 
envelope  and  made  her  way  back  cautiously  to  the 
hall.  There  was  a  chance  of  being  discovered,  a 
chance  that  she  was  being  watched,  but  she  had  to 
run  the  risk  of  that.  She  was  crossing  the  hall  freely 
and  carelessly  now,  and  so  contrived  as  to  sweep 
the  mass  of  letters  with  her  sleeve  to  the  floor, 
exclaiming  at  her  own  clumsiness  as  she  did  so. 
Like  a  flash  she  picked  out  the  one  letter  that  she 
needed  and  swiftly  exchanged  it  for  the  other.  A 
moment  later  she  was  out  of  doors,  with  the  danger- 
ous communication  in  her  pocket. 

So  far  as  she  could  see,  she  had  succeeded  be- 
yond her  wildest  expectations.  It  was  only  a  simple 
ruse,  but  hke  most  simple  things,  generally  success- 
ful. Vera  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot  now, 
but  the  fresh  air  of  the  park  and  the  broad,  beautiful 
solitude  of  it  soothed  her  jarred  nerves,  and  brought 
back  a  toore  contented  frame  of  mind.  Her  spirits 
rose  as  she  walked  along. 

"  I  am  glad  I  did  that,"  she  told  herself,  "  I  may 
be  mistaken,  but  I  firmly  beUeve  that  I  have  saved 
Zary's  life.  Had  he  come  down  here  he  would 
never  have  left  the  place  again.  And  yet  there  is 
danger  for  him  still,  and  I  must  warn  liim  of  it. 
[207] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

I  must  manage  to  communicate  in  some  way  with 
Gerald.  I  wonder  if  it  would  be  safe  to  send  him  a 
telegram  from  the  village.  I  wonder,  too,  in  what 
direction  the  village  lies.  Still,  I  have  all  the  after- 
noon before  me,  and  a  brisk  walk  will  do  me  good." 

With  a  firm,  elastic  step.  Vera  walked  across  the 
grass  in  the  direction  of  a  wood,  beyond  which 
she  could  see  the  slope  of  the  high  road.  She  had 
hardly  entered  the  wood  before  she  heard  a  voice 
calling  her  name,  and  to  her  intense  delight  she 
turned  to  find  herself  face  to  face  with  Venner. 

"Oh,  this  is  glorious,"  she  said,  as  she  placed 
both  her  hands  in  his.  "  But  do  you  think  that  it  is 
quite  safe  for  you  to  come  here  so  soon  ?  For  all 
I  know,  I  may  be  followed. 

"I  don't  think  so,"  Venner  said.  "Now  let  me 
take  you  in  my  arms  and  kiss  you.  Let  us  sit  down 
here  in  this  snug  corner  and  try  to  imagine  that  we 
are  back  in  the  happy  days  when  no  cloud  loomed 
between  us,  and  we  were  looking  forward  to  many 
joyous  years  together.  We  will  talk  mundane 
matters  presently." 

Vera  yielded  to  the  ecstasy  of  the  moment. 
Everything  was  so  dark  and  melancholy  that  it 
seemed  a  sin  to  lose  a  gleam  of  sunshine  like  this. 
But  the  time  crept  on  and  the  November  sun  was 
sinking,  and  it  was  borne  in  upon  Vera  that  she 
must  get  back  to  the  house  again.  Very  gently, 
she  disengaged  herself  from  Venner's  embrace. 
[20S] 


A  COUPLE  OF  VISITORS 

"We  must  be  really  practical  now,"  she  said. 
*'Tell  me  what  has  happened  since  I  left  the  hotel 
last  night?" 

"So  far  as  I  can  see,  nothing,"  Venner  replied. 
"I  asked  for  you  this  morning,  and  to  my  surprise 
I  found  that  you  had  vanished  in  the  dead  of  the 
night  with  a  mysterious  chauffeur  and  a  Mercedes 
car.  By  great  good  luck  I  found  a  policeman  who 
had  made  a  note  of  the  number  of  the  car;  after 
■which  I  went  to  the  makers,  or  rather  the  agents  of 
the  makers,  and  it  was  quite  easy  to  find  out  that 
the  Mercedes  in  question  had  recently  been  defivered 
to  Mr.  Mark  Fenwick's  order  at  Merton  Grange 
near  Canterbury.  After  that,  you  will  not  be  sur- 
prised to  find  that  I  came  down  here  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  that  I  have  been  hiding  here  with  a 
pair  of  field-glasses  trying  to  get  a  glimpse  of  you." 

"That  was  very  interesting,"  Vera  laughed. 
"  But  tell  me  about  my  sister.  I  am  so  anxious  over 
her." 

"No  reason  to  be,"  said  Venner.  "I  have  seen 
to  that.     She  has  gone  back  to  your  brother." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad.     Now  listen  to  me  carefully." 

She  went  on  with  some  detail  to  tell  the  story  of 
her  last  night's  experiences.  She  spoke  of  Felix 
Zary  and  the  letter  which  she  had  been  more  or  less 
compelled  to  write  to  him.  Also,  she  described  the 
ruse  by  which  the  letter  had  been  regained. 

"  Now  you  must  go  and  see  tliis  Zary,"  she  said. 
14  [  209  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

*'  Tell  him  that  you  come  from  me,  and  tell  him  all 
about  the  letter.  Mind,  he  must  reply  to  my  letter 
just  as  if  it  had  reached  him  in  the  ordinary  way 
through  the  post,  because,  as  you  see,  I  shall  have 
to  show  the  answer  to  Mr.  Fenwick,  and  I  want  to 
lull  his  suspicions  to  rest  entirely.  You  may  find 
Zary  a  Httle  awkward  at  first." 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall,"  Venner  smiled.  "  In  fact, 
he  and  I  are  already  acquainted.  But  I  am  not 
going  to  tell  you  anything  about  that;  you  prefer 
to  keep  your  secrets  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  and 
I  am  going  to  guard  mine  for  the  present.  I  am 
working  to  put  an  end  to  all  this  mystery  and  bother, 
and  I  am  going  to  do  it  my  own  way.  Anyway,  I 
will  see  Zary  for  you  and  tell  him  exactly  what  has 
happened.  In  fact,  I  will  go  to  town  this  evening 
for  the  express  purpose.  Then  I  will  come  back 
in  the  morning  and  meet  you  here  the  same  time 
to-morrow  afternoon." 

They  parted  at  that,  and  Vera  made  her  way 
back  to  the  house.  She  saw  that  the  letters  were 
no  longer  on  the  hall  table,  and  therefore  she  con- 
cluded that  they  had  been  posted.  She  assumed 
a  quiet,  dignified  manner  during  the  rest  of  the  even- 
ing. She  treated  Fenwick  more  or  less  distantly, 
as  if  she  were  still  offended  with  his  suspicions. 
Fenwick,  on  the  other  hand,  was  more  than  usually 
amiable.  Something  had  evidently  pleased  him, 
and  he  appeared  to  be  doing  his  best  to  wipe  out 
[210] 


A  COUPLE  OF  VISITORS 

the  unpleasant  impression  of  the  morning.  Vera 
felt  quite  easy  in  her  mind  now;  she  knew  that  her 
ruse  had  been  absolutely  successful.  All  the  same, 
she  ignored  Fenwick's  request  of  a  little  music,  pro- 
fessing to  be  exceedingly  tired,  which,  indeed,  was 
no  more  than  the  truth. 

"  I  am  going  to  bed  quite  early  to-night,"  she  said. 
**I  have  been  sleeping  very  indifferently  of  late." 

It  was  barely  ten  before  she  was  in  her  room,  and 
there  she  lay,  oblivious  of  all  that  was  taking  place 
around  her,  till  she  woke  presently  with  an  idea  that 
she  could  hear  the  sound  of  hammering  close  by. 
As  she  sat  up  in  bed  with  all  her  senses  about  her, 
she  could  hear  the  great  stable  clock  strike  the  hour 
of  three.  Her  ears  had  not  deceived  her;  the  sound 
of  metal  meeting  metal  in  a  kind  of  musical  chink 
came  distinct  and  clear.  Then  from  somewhere 
near  she  could  hear  voices.  The  thing  was  very 
strange,  seeing  that  Fenwick  was  a  business  man  pure 
and  simple,  and  that  he  had  never  confessed  to  any 
knowledge  of  mechanics.  It  came  back  to  her 
mind  now,  that  directly  she  had  entered  the  house 
Fenwick  had  greeted  her  in  a  suit  of  blue  overalls 
which  she  understood  men  who  followed  mechanical 
pursuits  generally  wore.  She  recollected,  too,  that 
his  hands  were  black  and  grimy.  What  could  be 
going  on,  and  why  had  she  seen  nothing  of  this  dur- 
ing the  day-time?  She  could  comprehend  men 
Bitting  up  all  night  and  working  in  a  factory,  but 
[211] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

surely  there  could  be  no  occasion  for  a  thing  hke 
this  in  a  private  house,  unless,  perhaps,  Fenwick  and 
his  satellites  were  engaged  in  some  pursuit  that 
needed  careful  concealment  from  the  eyes  of  the  law. 
•It  would  be  well,  perhaps,  Vera  thought,  if  she 
could  find  out  what  was  going  on.  The  discovery 
might  be  the  means  of  putting  another  weapon  into 
her  hands.  She  rose  from  her  bed  and  partially 
dressed  herself.  Then,  with  a  pair  of  slippers  on 
her  feet  and  a  dark  wrap  round  her  shoulders,  she 
stole  into  the  corridor.  A  dim  hght  was  burning 
there,  so  that  she  had  no  fear  of  being  discovered, 
especially  as  the  walls  were  draped  with  tapestry, 
and  here  and  there  armored  figures  stood,  which 
afforded  a  capital  means  of  concealment.  As  Vera 
sidled  along  she  noticed  that  at  the  end  of  the  corri- 
dor was  a  small  room  down  a  flight  of  steps.  From 
where  she  stood  she  could  see  into  the  room,  the 
door  of  which  was  open.  Fenwick  stood  there 
apparently  engaged  in  superintending  the  melting 
of  metal  in  a  crucible  over  a  fire,  which  was  driven 
to  white  heat  by  a  pair  of  bellows.  The  rest  of  his 
gang  seemed  to  be  doing  something  on  an  iron  table 
with  moulds  and  discs.  Vera  could  see  the  gleam 
of  yellow  metal,  then  somebody  closed  the  door  of 
the  room  and  she  could  learn  no  more.  It  was  all 
very  strange  and  mysterious,  and  there  was  a  furtive 
air  about  it  which  did  not  suggest  honesty  of  pur- 
pose. There  was  nothing  more  for  it  now  except 
[212] 


A  COUPLE  OF  VISITORS 

for  Vera  to  return  to  her  room,  with  a  determination 
to  see  the  inside  of  that  Httle  apartment  the  first 
time  that  the  coast  was  clear. 

She  hurried  along  back  to  her  own  room,  and  had 
almost  succeeded  in  reaching  it,  when  she  came  face 
to  face  with  a  man  who  had  stepped  out  of  a  door- 
way so  suddenly  that  the  two  figures  came  almost 
in  contact.  A  fraction  of  a  second  later  a  hand 
was  laid  over  Vera's  mouth,  w^hile  another  grasped 
her  wrist;  then  she  saw  that  the  intruder  had  been 
joined  by  a  companion. 

"Please  don't  say  a  word,  miss;  and,  whatever 
you  do,  don't  call  out,"  one  of  the  men  whispered. 
"We  know  all  about  you  and  who  you  are.  Be- 
lieve me,  we  are  here  to  do  you  the  greatest  service 
in  our  power.     My  colleague  will  tell  you  the  same." 

''But  who  are  you.^"  Vera  asked,  as  the  man 
removed  his  hand  from  her  mouth.  Her  courage 
had  come  back  to  her  now.  "Why  do  you  come 
in  this  fashion  .'' " 

"  My  name  is  Egan,"  the  stranger  said,  "  and  this 
is  my  companion,  Grady.  We  are  New  York 
detectives,  over  here  on  important  business.  The 
man  we  are  after  is  Mark  Fen  wick." 


[  213  ] 


CHAPTER  XIX 

Phantom  Gold 

Vera  had  entirely  recovered  her  self-possession  by 
this  time.  She  was  able  to  regard  the  men  coolly 
and  critically.  There  was  nothing  about  them  that 
suggested  anything  wrong  or  underhand;  on  the 
contrary,  the  girl  rather  liked  their  appearance. 
All  the  same  it  was  a  strange  and  unique  experience; 
and  though  Vera  had  been  through  a  series  of  trials 
and  tribulations,  she  thrilled  now  as  she  recognised 
how  near  she  had  been  to  the  man  who  was  thus 
running  himself  into  the  hands  of  justice. 

"  But  how  can  you  know  anything  about  me  ?  '* 
she  said.  "  You  surely  do  not  mean  to  say  that  you 
suspect " 

"Not  at  all,  miss,"  Egan  said,  civilly.  "Only, 
you  see,  it  is  always  our  business  to  knov/  a  great 
deal  more  than  people  imagine.  I  hope  you  won't 
suppose  that  we  are  going  to  take  any  advantage  of 
our  position  here,  or  that  we  want  you  to  betray 
Mr,  Fen  wick  into  our  hands ;  but  since  we  have  been 
unfortunate  enough  to  be  discovered  by  you,  we 
will  ask  you  to  go  so  far  as  to  say  nothing  to  Mr. 
[214] 


PHANTOM  GOLD 

Fenwick.  If  you  tell  him,  you  will  be  doing  con- 
siderable harm  to  a  great  many  deserving  people  who 
have  suffered  terribly  at  that  man's  hands.  I 
think  you   understand." 

Vera  understood  only  too  well,  and  yet  her  dehcate 
sense  of  honor  was  slightly  disturbed  at  the  idea  of 
continuing  there  without  warning  Fenwick  of  the 
danger  that  overshadowed  him.  Personally,  she 
■would  have  liked  to  have  told  him  exactly  how  he 
stood,  and  given  him  the  opportunity  to  get  av/ay. 
Perhaps  Egan  saw  something  of  this  in  Vera's  face, 
for  he  went  on  to  speak  again. 

"I  know  it  isn't  very  nice  for  you,  miss,"  he  said, 
"and  I  am  not  surprised  to  see  you  hesitate;  but 
seeing  that  Mr.  Fenwick  has  done  you  as  much 
harm  as  anybody  else " 

"How  do  you  know  that.'"  Vera  exclaimed. 

"Well,  you  see,  it  is  our  business  to  know  every- 
thing. I  feel  quite  certain  that  on  reflection  you 
will  do  nothing  to  defeat  the  ends  of  justice." 

"No,"  Vera  said,  thoughtfully.  "In  any  case, 
it  cannot  much  matter.  You  are  here  to  arrest  Mr. 
Fenwick,  and  you  probably  know  where  he  is  to  be 
found  at  the  present  moment." 

"  There  you  are  wrong,  miss,"  Grady  said.  "  We 
are  not  in  a  position  at  present  to  lay  hands  on  our 
man.  We  came  here  prepared  to  take  a  few  risks — 
but  I  don't  suppose  you  would  care  to  hear  anything 
about  our  methods.  It  will  be  a  great  favor  to  us 
[215] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

if  you  will  retire  to  your  room  and  stay  there  till 
morning." 

Vera  went  off  without  any  further  ado,  feeling 
that  once  more  the  current  of  events  had  come 
between  her  and  the  sleep  that  she  so  sorely  needed. 
But,  in  spite  of  everything,  she  had  youth  and  health 
on  her  side,  and  within  a  few  minutes  she  was  fast 
asleep.  It  was  fairly  late  when  she  came  down  the 
next  morning,  and  she  was  rather  surprised  to  find 
that  Fenwick  had  not  finished  his  breakfast.  He 
sat  there  sullen  and  heavy-eyed,  and  had  no  more 
than  a  grunt  for  Vera  in  response  to  her  morning 
greeting.  He  turned  over  his  food  with  savage 
disapproval.  Evidently,  from  the  look  of  him,  he 
had  not  only  been  up  late  overnight,  but  he  had  also 
had  more  wine  than  was  good  for  him. 

"  Who  can  eat  rubbish  like  this  ? "  he  growled. 
"The  stuff  isn't  fit  to  feed  a  dog  with.  Look  at 
this  bacon." 

"You  can  expect  nothing  else,"  Vera  said,  coldly. 
"  If  you  choose  to  try  and  run  a  large  house  like  this 
with  practically  no  servants  beyond  a  caretaker  and 
his  wife,  you  must  put  up  with  the  consequences. 
You  are  an  exceedingly  clever  man,  but  you  seem 
to  have  overlooked  one  fact,  and  that  is  the  amount 
of  gossip  you  are  providing  for  the  neighbors.  It 
isn't  as  if  we  were  still  in  town,  where  the  man  next 
door  knows  nothing  of  you  and  cares  less.  Here 
peole  apre  interested  in  their  neighbors.  It  will 
[216] 


PHANTOM  GOLD 

cause  quite  a  scandal  when  it  becomes  known  that 
you  are  occupying  Lord  Merlon's  house  wath  nothing 
more  than  a  number  of  questionable  men.  As  far 
as  I  can  see,  you  arc  far  worse  off  here  than  if  you 
had  stayed  in  London.     I  may  be  wrong,  of  course." 

"I  begin  to  think  you  are  quite  right,"  Fenwick 
grunted.  "I  must  see  to  this.  It  will  never  do 
for  all  these  chattering  magpies  to  pry  into  my  busi- 
ness. You  had  better  go  into  Canterbury  this 
morning  and  see  if  you  can't  arrange  for  a  proper 
staff  of  servants  to  come.  Well,  what's  the  matter 
now  ?  " 

One  of  the  men  had  come  into  the  room  with  a 
telegram  in  his  hand.  He  pitched  it  in  a  contemp- 
tuous way  upon  the  table  and  withdrew,  whistling 
unconcernedly.  The  man's  manner  was  so  flippant 
and  familiar  that  Vera  flushed  with  annoyance. 

"  I  wish  yon  would  keep  your  subordinates  a  little 
more  under  your  control,"  she  said.  "One  hardly 
expects  a  man  of  your  wealth  to  be  treated  in  this 
way  by  his  clerks." 

But  Fenwick  was  not  Hstening.  His  brows 
were  knotted  in  a  sullen  frown  over  the  telegram 
that  he  held  in  his  hand.  He  clutched  the  flimsy 
paper  and  threw  it  with  a  passionate  gesture  into 
the  fire.  Vera  could  see  that  his  yellow  face  had 
grown  strangely  white,  and  that  his  coarse  lips  were 
trembling.  He  rose  from  the  table,  pusliing  his 
plate  away  from  him. 

[217] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

**  I've  got  to  go  to  town  at  once,"  he  said.  "  How 
strange  it  is  that  everything  seems  to  have  gone 
wrong  of  late!  I  shall  be  back  again  in  time  for 
dinner,  and  I  shall  be  glad  if  you  are  good  enough 
to  see  that  I  have  something  fit  to  eat.  Perhaps 
you  had  better  telephone  to  town  for  some  servants. 
It  doesn't  much  matter  what  you  pay  them  as  long 
as  they  are  good." 

Fen  wick  walked  rapidly  from  the  room,  and  a 
few  moments  later  Vera  could  see  his  car  moving 
swiftly  down  the  drive.  On  the  whole,  she  was  not 
sorry  to  have  Fenwick  out  of  the  house.  She  was 
pleased,  also,  to  know  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind 
over  the  servant  question.  Already  the  house  was 
beginning  to  look  shabby  and  neglected;  in  the 
strong  morning  sunshine  Vera  could  see  the  dust 
lying  everywhere.  Her  womanly  instincts  rebelled 
against  this  condition  of  things;  she  was  not  satis- 
fied until  she  had  set  the  telephone  in  motion  and 
settled  the  matter  as  far  as  the  domestic  staff  was 
concerned. 

Then  a  sudden  thought  flashed  into  her  mind. 
Here  was  the  opportunity  for  examining  the  little 
room  where  Fenwick  and  his  satellites  had  been  busy 
the  previous  evening.  Vera  had  not  failed  to  notice 
the  fact  that  three  of  the  men  had  gone  off  with 
Fenwick  in  his  car,  so  that,  in  all  probability,  they 
meant  to  accompany  him  to  town.  If  this  turned 
out  to  be  correct,  then  there  was  only  one  man  to 
[218] 


PHANTOM  GOLD 

be  accounted  for.     Possibly  with  the  assistance  of 
Gerald,  the  fourth  man  might  be  got  out  of  the  way. 

It  was  nearly  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  before 
Vera  managed  to  see  her  husband.  Eageily  and 
rapidly  she  told  him  all  that  had  taken  place  the 
previous  evening,  though  she  was  rather  suiprised 
to  find  him  manifesting  less  astonishment  than  she 
had  expected.  Vcnner  smiled  when  Vera  mentioned 
this. 

"Oh,  that's  no  new  thing  to  me,"  he  said.  "I 
saw  all  that  going  on  in  your  suite  of  rooms  at  the 
Great  Empire  Hotel,  though  I  haven't  the  least 
notion  what  it  all  means.  I  should  have  thought 
that  your  interesting  guardian  was  manufacturing 
counterfeit  coins.  But  we  managed  to  get  hold  of 
one  of  them,  and  a  jeweller  pronounced  at  once  that 
it  was  a  genuine  sovereign.  Still,  there  is  no  ques- 
tion of  the  fact  that  some  underhand  business  is 
going  on,  and  I  am  quite  ready  to  assist  you  in  find- 
ing out  what  it  is.  The  point  is  whether  the  coast 
is  clear  or  not." 

"There  is  only  one  man  left  beliind,"  Vera  ex- 
plained. "All  the  rest  have  gone  to  London  with 
]Mr.  Fenwick,  who  received  a  most  disturbing  tele- 
gram at  breakfast  this  morning.  Of  course,  the 
old  caretaker  and  his  wife  count  for  notliing;  they 
are  quite  innocent  parties,  and  merely  regard  their 
stay  here  as  temporary,  pending  the  arrival  of  our 
staff  of  servants." 

[219] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"In  that  case,  I  don't  see  why  it  shouldn't  be 
managed,"  Venner  said.  "  You  had  better  go  back 
to  the  house,  and  I  will  call  and  see  you.  There  is 
not  the  slightest  reason  why  I  shouldn't  give  my 
own  name,  nor  is  there  the  slightest  reason  why  you 
should  not  show  me  over  the  house  when  I  come. 
I  daresay  all  this  sounds  a  bit  cheap,  but  one  cannot 
be  too  careful  in  dealing  with  these  people." 

It  was  all  arranged  exactly  as  Venner  had  sug- 
gested, and  a  little  later  Vera  was  shaking  hands 
with  her  own  husband  as  if  he  were  a  perfect  stranger. 
They  proceeded  presently  to  walk  up  the  grand 
staircase  and  along  the  corridor.  Vera  doing  the 
honors  of  the  place  and  speaking  in  a  manner  cal- 
culated to  deceive  anybody  who  was  listening. 
She  stopped  presently  and  clutched  Venner's  arm 
excitedly.  She  pointed  to  a  doorway  leading  to  a 
little  room  down  the  steps  at  the  end  of  the  corridor. 

"There,"  she  whispered,  "that  is  the  room,  and, 
as  far  as  I  can  see,  it  is  absolutely  empty.  What 
do  you  say  to  going  in  there  now .''  The  coast  seems 
to  be  quite  clear." 

Venner  hesitated  for  a  moment;  it  would  be  just 
as  well,  he  thought,  to  err  on  the  side  of  caution. 
A  casual  glance  from  the  corridor  disclosed  nothing, 
except  that  on  the  table  there  stood  a  bottle  apparent- 
ly containing  wine,  for  a  glass  of  some  dark  ruby 
liquid  stood  beside  it.  Very  rapidly  Venner  ran 
down  the  flight  of  stairs  and  looked  into  the  room. 
[220] 


PHANTOM  GOLD 

"  There  is  nobody  there  for  the  moment,"  he  said, 
*'but  that  bulldog  of  Fenwick's  can't  be  far  off, 
for  there  is  a  half -smoked  cigarette  on  the  end  of  the 
table  which  has  not  yet  gone  out.  I  think  I  can  see 
my  way  now  to  working  tliis  thing  without  any 
trouble  or  danger.  Do  you  happen  to  know  if  that 
rheumatic  old  caretaker  uses  snuff .'' " 

"  Really,  I  don't,"  Vera  said  with  a  smile.  "  But 
what  possible  connection  is  there  between  the  care- 
taker and  his  snuff ?"  i 

"Never  mind  about  that  at  present.  Go  down 
and  ask  the  old  man  for  his  snuff  box.  By  the  look 
of  him,  I  am  quite  sure  he  indulges  in  the  habit. 
Tell  him  you  want  to  kill  some  insects  in  the  con- 
servatory. Tell  him  anything,  so  long  as  you  egt 
possession  of  the  box  for  a  few  minutes." 

Vera  flew  off  on  her  errand.  She  was  some 
moments  before  she  could  make  the  old  man  under- 
stand what  she  needed;  then,  with  the  air  of  one 
who  parts  with  some  treasure,  he  handed  over  to  her 
a  little  tortoiseshcll  box,  remarking,  at  the  same 
time,  that  he  had  had  it  for  the  last  sixty  years  and 
would  not  part  with  it  for  anything.  A  moment 
later.  Vera  was  back  again  at  the  end  of  the  corridor. 
Venner  had  not  moved,  a  sure  sign  that  no  one  had 
approached  in  the  meantime.  Taking  the  box 
from  Vera's  hand,  and  leaving  her  to  guard  the  cor- 
ridor, he  stepped  into  the  little  room,  where  he  pro- 
ceeded to  stir  a  little  pellet  of  snuff  into  the  glass  of 
[221] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

■wine.  This  done,  he  immediately  hurried  Vera 
away  to  the  other  end  of  the  corridor. 

"  I  think  that  will  be  all  right  now,"  he  said. 
*'  We  have  only  got  to  wait  till  our  man  comes  back 
and  give  him  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Snuff  is 
a  very  strong  drug,  and  within  a  few  minutes  of  his 
finishing  his  wine  he  will  be  sound  asleep  on  the 
floor." 

It  all  fell  out  exactly  as  Venner  had  prophesied. 
The  man  came  back  presently,  passing  Vera  and  her 
companion  without  the  slightest  suspicion  of  any- 
thing being  wrong.  Then  he  turned  into  the  little 
room  and  closed  the  door  behind  him.  Half  an 
hour  passed  before  Vera  knocked  at  the  door  on 
some  frivolous  pretext,  but  no  answer  came  from 
the  other  side.  She  knocked  again  and  again, 
after  which  she  ventured  to  open  the  door.  The 
wine-glass  was  empty,  a  half-finished  cigarette 
smouldered  on  the  floor,  and,  by  the  side  of  it,  lay 
the  man  in  a  deep  and  comatose  sleep.  Venner 
fairly  turned  him  over  with  his  foot,  but  the  slumber- 
ing form  gave  no  sign.     The  thing  was  safe  now. 

"We  needn't  worry  ourselves  for  an  hour  or  so," 
Venner  said.  "And  now  we  have  to  see  if  we  can 
discover  the  secrets  of  the  prison  house.  Evidently 
nothing  is  going  on  at  present.  I  should  like  to 
know  what  the  table  is  for.  It  is  not  unlike  a  modern 
gas  stove — I  mean  a  gas  stove  used  for  cooking 
purposes,  and  here  is  a  parcel  on  the  table,  just 
[222] 


PHANTOM  GOLD 

the  same  sort  of  parcel  that  the  mysterious  new 
sovereigns  were  wrapped  up  in." 

"  Oh,  let  me  see,"  Vera  said  eagerly  as  she  pulled 
the  lid  off  the  box.  "See,  this'  stuff  inside  is  just 
like  asbestos,  and  sure  enough  here  is  a  layer  of  sov- 
ereigns on  the  top.  How  bright  and  new  they  look. 
I  have  never  seen  gold  so  attractive  before.    I '* 

Vera  suddenly  ceased  to  speak,  and  a  sharp  cry 
of  pain  escaped  her  as  she  dropped  to  the  floor  one 
of  the  coins  which  she  had  taken  in  her  hand.  She 
was  regarding  her  thumb  and  forefinger  now  with 
some  dismay,  for  they  were  scorched  and  swollen. 

*'  Those  coins  are  red  hot,"  she  said.  "  You  try — 
but  look  out  you  don't  get  burned." 

Surely  enough,  the  coins  were  almost  at  white 
heat;  so  much  so,  that  a  wax  match  placed  on  the 
edge  of  one  flared  instantly.  Venner  looked  puzzled ; 
he  could  not  make  it  out.  There  was  no  fire  in  the 
room,  and  apparently  no  furnace  or  oven  in  which 
the  metal  could  have  been  heated.  Then  he  sudden- 
ly recollected  that  Vera  must  be  in  pain. 

"My  poor  child,"  he  said.  "I  am  so  sorry. 
You  must  go  down  to  the  old  housekeeper  at  once 
and  get  her  to  put  something  on  your  hand.  Mean- 
while, I  will  stay  here  and  investigate,  though  I  don't 
expect  for  a  moment  that  I  shall  make  any  further 
discoveries." 

Vera's  hand  was  dressed  at  length,  and  the  paia 
of  the  burn  had  somewhat  abated  when  Venner  came 
[223] 


THE  IMYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

down  the  stairs  again.  He  shook  his  head  in  re- 
sponse to  the  questioning  glance  in  Vera's  eyes. 

"Absolutely  nothing,"  he  said.  "I  found  a  safe 
there  let  into  the  wall,  but  then,  you  see,  the  safe 
has  been  built  for  years,  and  no  doubt  has  been 
used  by  Lord  Merton  to  store  his  plate  and  other 
valuables  of  that  kind.  It  is  just  possible,  of  course, 
that  Fenwick  has  the  key  of  it,  and  that  the  safe  had 
been  cleared  out  for  his  use.  I  am  afraid  we  shall 
never  solve  this  little  puzzle  until  Fenwick  is  in  the 
hands  of  those  detectives  who  gave  me  such  a  fright 
last  night." 

"  But  there  must  have  been  some  means  of  heating 
those  coins,"  Vera  protested.  "They  must  have 
come  straight  from  a  furnace." 

"Of  course,"  Venner  said.  "The  trouble  is 
where  to  find  the  furnace.  I  am  perfectly  sure,  too, 
that  the  sovereigns  were  genuine.  Now  what  on 
earth  can  a  man  gain  by  taking  current  coins  of  the 
realm  and  making  them  red  hot  ?  The  only  chance 
of  a  solution  is  for  me  to  find  Egan  and  Grady  and 
tell  them  of  my  discovery.  I  shall  be  at  the  same 
spot  to-morrow  afternoon  at  the  same  time,  and  if  I 
find  anything  out  I  will  let  you  know." 

There  was  nothing  more  for  it  than  this,  where- 
upon Venner  went  away  and  Vera  returned  thought- 
fully to  the  dining-room.  She  was  just  a  little  bit 
in  doubt  as  to  whether  the  man  upstairs  would  guess 
the  trick  played  upon  him,  but  that  she  had  to  risk. 
[224] 


CHAPTER  XX 

The  Prodigal's  Return 

Money  can  do  most  things,  even  in  the  matter 
of  furnishing  a  large  house  with  competent  servants, 
and  by  six  o'clock  Vera  had  contrived  for  the  domes- 
tic machine  to  run  a  little  more  smoothly.  At  any 
rate,  she  was  in  a  position  now  to  provide  Fenwick 
with  something  in  the  shape  of  a  respectable  dinner 
on  his  return  from  town. 

It  was  about  a  quarter  to  eight  when  he  put  in 
an  appearance,  and  for  the  first  time  for  some  days 
he  changed  into  evening  dress  for  the  chief  meal  of 
the  day.  He  appeared  to  be  as  morose  and  savage 
as  he  had  been  in  the  morning,  in  fact  even  more  so 
if  that  were  possible.  He  answered  Vera's  questions 
curtly,  so  that  she  fell  back  upon  herself  and  ate 
her  soup  in  silence.  And  yet,  though  Fenwick  was 
so  quiet,  it  seemed  to  Vera  that  he  was  regarding  her 
with  a  deep  distrust,  so  that  she  found  herself  flush- 
ing under  his  gaze.  He  put  his  spoon  down  present- 
ly, and  pointed  with  his  hand  to  Vera's  swollen 
fingers. 

"What  have  you  got  there?"  he  demanded. 
•*  How  did  you  do  that  ? " 

15  [ 225  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"I  burnt  it,"  Vera  stammered.  *'It  was  an 
accident." 

"  Well,  I  don't  suppose  you  burnt  it  on  purpose," 
Fenwick  growled.  "I  don't  suppose  you  put  your 
hand  into  the  fire  to  see  if  it  was  hot.  What  I  asked 
you  was  how  you  did  it.  Please  answer  my  question." 

"I  repeat  it  was  an  accident,"  Vera  said,  coldly. 
*'  I  burnt  my  fingers  in  such  a  way " 

"Yes,  and  you  are  not  the  first  woman  who  has 
burnt  her  fingers  interfering  with  things  that  don't 
concern  her.  I  insist  upon  knowing  exactly  how 
that  accident  happened." 

Vera  turned  a  cold,  contemptuous  face  to  her  com- 
panion; she  began  to  understand  now  that  his 
suspicions  were  aroused.  It  came  back  to  her 
vividly  enough  that  she  had  dropped  the  hot  sove- 
reign on  the  floor,  and  that,  owing  to  the  shock  and 
sudden  surprise,  she  had  not  replaced  it.  It  was 
just  possible  that  Fenwick  had  gone  into  the  little 
room  and  had  missed  the  sovereign  from  the  neat 
layer  of  coins  on  the  top  of  the  box.  And  then  an- 
other dreadful  thought  came  to  Vera — supposing 
that  the  drugged  man  had  not  recovered  from  the 
effects  of  his  dose  by  the  time  that  Fenwick  had 
returned?  It  was  a  point  which  both  she  and 
Venner  had  overlooked.  There  was  nothing  for  it 
but  to  take  refuge  behind  an  assumed  indignation, 
and  decline  to  answer  offensive  questions  put 
in  that  tone  of  voice.  Vera  was  still  debating  as  to 
[226] 


THE  PRODIGAL'S  RETURN 

the  most  contemptuous  reply  when  the  dining-room 
door  opened  and  one  of  the  newly-arrived  servants 
announced  Mr.  Blossett. 

Fenwick  rose  to  his  feet  and  an  unmistakable 
oath  escaped  his  lips.  All  the  same,  he  forced  a 
kind  of  sickly  smile  to  his  face,  as  a  big  man,  with 
an  exceedingly  red  face  and  an  exceedingly  offensive 
swaggering  manner,  came  into  the  dining-room. 
The  stranger  was  quite  well  dressed,  nothing  about 
his  garments  offended  the  eye  or  outraged  good 
taste,  yet,  all  the  same,  the  man  had  "bounder" 
written  all  over  him  in  large  letters.  His  impudent 
red  face,  his  aggressively  waxed  moustache,  and  the 
easy  famiharity  of  his  manner,  caused  Vera  to 
shrink  within  herself,  though  she  could  have  been 
grateful  to  the  fellow  for  the  diversion  which  his 
appearance  had  created. 

"Well,  Fenwick,  my  buck!"  he  cried.  "You 
didn't  expect  that  I  should  accept  your  invitation 
quite  so  promptly,  but  I  happen  to  be  knocking 
around  here,  and  I  thought  I'd  drop  in  and  join  you 
in  your  chop.  This  is  your  daughter,  I  suppose.^ 
Glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,  miss.  I  was 
told  there  were  many  beauties  at  IVIerton  Grange, 
but  I  find  that  there  is  one  more  than  I  expected." 

Vera  merely  bowed  in  reply.     The  man  was  so 

frankly,  hopelessly,  utterly  vulgar  that  her  upper- 

piost  feeUng  was  one  of  amusement.     She  could  see 

that  Fenwick  was  terriblv  annoved,  though  for  some 

[227]    ' 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

reason  he  had  to  keep  himself  in  hand  and  be  agree- 
able to   Blossett. 

"Sit  down,"  he  said.  "Ring  the  bell,  and  we 
will  get  another  cover  laid.  I  don't  suppose  you 
mind  missing  the  soup." 

"I  have  been  in  the  soup  too  often  to  care  about 
it,"  Blossett  laughed.  "To  tell  the  truth,  we  had 
such  a  warm  time  last  night  that  solid  food  and  my- 
self are  not  on  speaking  terms  just  now.  Here, 
waiter,  fill  me  a  tumbler  of  champagne.  I  daresay 
when  I  have  got  that  down  my  neck  I  shall  be 
able  to  pay  my  proper  attentions  to  this  young 
lady." 

Fenwick  made  no  reply;  he  cut  savagely  at  his 
fish  as  if  he  w^ere  passing  the  knife  over  the  throat 
of  the  intruder.  Meanwhile  the  stranger  rattled 
on,  doubtless  under  the  impression  that  he  was 
making  himself  exceedingly  agreeable.  Vera  sat 
there  watching  the  scene  with  a  certain  sense  of 
amusement.  She  was  still  a  little  pale  and  un- 
steady, still  doubtful  as  to  the  amount  of  information 
that  Fenwick  had  gleaned  as  to  her  movements  that 
afternoon.  She  would  be  glad  to  get  away  pres- 
ently and  try  to  ascertain  for  herself  whether  the 
drugged  man  had  recovered  or  not.  Meanwhile, 
there  was  no  occasion  for  her  to  talk,  as  the  intruder 
was  quite  able  to  carry  on  all  the  necessary  conver- 
sation. 

"This  is  mighty  fine  tipple,"  he  said.  "Waiter, 
[228] 


THE  PRODIGAL'S  RETURN 

give  me  another  tumbler  of  champagne.  In  my 
chequered  career  I  don't  often  run  up  against  this 
class  of  lotion.  The  worst  of  it  is,  it  makes  one  talk 
too  fast,  and  seeing  that  I  have  got  to  run  the  gaunt- 
let with  the  next  little  parcel  of  sparklers " 

"Fool!"  Fenwick  burst  out.  His  face  was  livid 
with  rage,  his  eyes  were  shot  with  passionate  anger. 
"Fool!  can't  you  be  silent.^  Don't  you  see  that 
there  is  one  here  who  is  outside " 

"Beg  pardon,"  Blossett  said,  unsteadily.  "I 
thought  the  young  woman  knew  all  about  it.  Lord, 
with  her  dainty  face  and  her  aristocratic  air,  what 
a  bonnet  she'd  make.  Wouldn't  she  look  nice  pass- 
ing off  as  the  daughter  of  the  old  military  swell 
with  a  fondness  for  a  little  game  of  cards  ?  You 
know  what  I  mean — the  same  game  that  old  Jim 
and  his  wife  used  to  play." 

"Be  silent,"  Fenwick  thundered  in  a  tone  that 
at  last  seemed  to  penetrate  the  thick  skull  of  his 
companion.  "My  —  my  daughter  knows  nothing 
of  these  things." 

Blossett  stammered  something  incoherent,  his 
manner  became  more  sullen,  and  long  before  dinner 
was  completed  it  was  evident  that  he  had  had  far 
more  wine  than  was  good  for  him. 

"If  you  will  excuse  me,  I  will  leave  you,"  Vera 
said  coldly.  "  I  do  not  care  for  any  dessert  or  coffee 
to-night." 

"Perhaps  you  had  better  go,"  Fenwick  said  with 
[229] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

an  air  of  relief.  "I  will  take  care  that  this  thing 
does  not  happen  again." 

But  Vera  had  already  left  the  room;  she  was  still 
consumed  with  anxiety,  and  desired  to  know  more 
of  what  had  happened  to  the  man  whom  Venner 
had  drugged.  She  did  not  dare  venture  as  far  as  the 
little  room,  for  fear  that  suspicious  eyes  should  be 
watching  her.  It  was  just  possible  that  Fenwick 
liad  given  his  satellites  a  hint  to  note  her  movements. 
Therefore,  all  she  could  do  was  to  sit  in  the  drawing- 
room  with  the  door  open.  Some  of  the  men  began 
to  pass  presently,  and  after  a  little  time,  with  a  sigh 
of  relief,  Vera  caught  sight  of  the  one  upon  whom 
the  trick  of  the  snuff  was  played.  He  seemed  all 
right,  as  far  as  she  could  judge,  and  the  girl  began  to 
breathe  a  little  more  freely. 

As  she  sat  there  in  the  silence  watching  and  wait- 
ing, she  saw  Fenwick  and  his  companion  emerge 
from  the  dining-room  and  cross  the  hall  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  billiard  room.  Blossett  was  still  talking 
lightly  and  incoherently;  he  leant  on  the  arm  of  his 
host,  and  obviously  the  support  was  necessary. 
Vera  had  never  before  seen  a  drunken  man  under 
the  same  roof  as  herself,  and  her  soul  revolted  at  the 
sight.  How  much  longer  was  this  going  on,  she 
wondered.''  How  much  more  would  she  be  called 
upon  to  endure?  For  the  present,  she  had  only 
to  possess  herself  in  patience  and  hope  for  the  best. 
She  was  longing  now  for  something  like  action. 

y  30  ] 


THE  PRODIGAL'S  RETURN 

The  silence  and  stillness  of  the  house  oppressed  her; 
she  would  have  liked  to  be  up  and  doing  something. 
Anything  better  than  sitting  there. 

The  silence  was  broken  presently  by  the  sound 
of  angry  voices  proceeding  from  the  billiard-room. 
Half-a-dozen  men  seemed  to  be  talking  at  the  same 
time — words  floated  to  Vera's  ears;  then  suddenly 
the  noise  ceased,  as  if  somebody  had  clapped  down 
a  lid  upon  the  meeting.  Vera  guessed  exactly 
what  had  happened.  The  bilUard-room  door  had 
been  closed  for  fear  of  the  servants  hearing  what 
was  going  on.  It  was  just  possible  that  behind 
those  closed  doors  the  mystery  that  had  so  puzzled 
Vera  was  being  unfolded.  She  recollected  now  that 
between  the  dining-  and  the  billiard-room  was  a  fairly 
large  conservatory  opening  on  either  side  into  the 
apartments  in  question.  It  was  just  possible  that 
Fenwick  and  his  companions  might  have  overlooked 
the  conservatory.  At  any  rate,  Vera  determined 
to  take  advantage  of  the  chance.  The  conservatory 
was  full  of  palms  and  plants  and  flowers,  behind 
which  it  was  possible  for  the  girl  to  hide  and  listen 
to  all  that  was  going  on. 

Vera  fully  understood  the  danger  she  was  running, 
she  quite  appreciated  the  fact  that  discovery  might 
be  visited  with  unpleasant  consequences.  But  this 
did  not  deter  her  for  a  moment.  She  was  in  the  con- 
servatory a  little  later,  and  was  not  displeased  to  find 
tliat  the  door  leading  to  the  billiard-room  was  open. 
[231] 


THE  IVIYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Behind  a  thick  mask  of  ferns  she  took  her  stand. 
Between  the  feathery  fronds  she  could  see  into  the 
billiard-room  without  being  seen.  Fenwick  was 
standing  by  the  side  of  the  table  laying  down  the 
law  about  sometliing,  while  the  rest  of  his  men 
were  scattered  about  the  room. 

"T\Tiy  should  I  do  it.'*"  Fenwick  was  saying. 
*'  Why  should  I  trust  a  man  like  you  ?  You  come 
down  to-night  on  the  most  important  errand,  well 
knowing  the  risks  you  are  running,  and  you  start  by 
getting  drunk  at  the  dinner  table." 

"I  wasn't  drunk,"  Blossett  said  sullenly.  "As 
to  the  girl,  why,  I  naturally  expected " 

"  Who  gave  you  the  right  to  expect  ? "  Fenwick 
demanded.  "Couldn't  you  see  at  a  glance  that 
she  knew  nothing  about  it.  Another  word  and  you 
would  have  betrayed  the  whole  thing.  You  can 
stay  here  all  night  and  talk  if  you  like,  but  you  are 
not  going  to  have  that  parcel  to  take  away  to  London 
with  you.  In  your  present  condition  you  would  be 
in  the  hands  of  the  police  before  morning." 

"But  I  haven't  got  a  cent,"  Blossett  said.  "I 
hadn't  enough  money  in  my  pocket  to  pay  my  cab 
fare  from  Canterbury;  and  don't  you  try  on  any  of 
your  games  with  me,  because  I  am  not  the  sort  of  man 
to  stand  them.  You  are  a  fine  lot  of  workmen  I  know, 
but  there  isn't  one  of  you  who  has  the  pluck  and 
ability  to  take  two  thousand  pound's  worth  of  that 
stuff  and  turn  it  into  cash  in  a  week.  Now  look 
[  232  ] 


THE  PRODIGAL'S  RETURN 

at  the  last  parcel  I  had,  I  got  rid  of  it  in  such  a 
manner  that  no  one  could  possibly  discover  that  I 
ever  handled  the  metal  at  all.  Who  among  you 
could  say  the  same  thing?" 

"Oh,  you  are  right  enough  so  long  as  you  keep 
sober,"  Fenwick  said.  "But,  all  the  same,  I  shall 
not  trust  you  with  the  parcel  that  is  waiting  upstairs.'* 

Vera  listened,  comprehending  but  little  of  what 
was  going  on.  After  all,  she  seemed  to  be  having 
only  her  trouble  for  her  pains.  Beyond  doubt  these 
men  were  doing  something  illicit  with  the  coinage 
of  the  country,  though  Vera  could  not  bring  herself 
to  believe  that  they  were  passing  off  counterfeit 
money,  seeing  that  the  sovereigns  were  absolutely 
genuine. 

"Well,  sometliing  has  got  to  be  done,"  another 
of  the  gang  remarked.  "We  are  bound  to  have  a 
few  thousand  during  the  next  few  days,  and,  as 
Blossett  says,  there  is  nobody  that  can  work  the  oracle 
as  well  as  he  can.  The  best  thinor  I  can  do  is  to  go 
to  town  with  him  and  keep  a  close  eye  on  him  till 
he  has  pulled  round  once  more.  He  can  keep  sober 
enough  on  occasions  if  he  likes,  and  once  the  drink- 
ing fit  has  passed  he  may  be  right  for  weeks." 

'I  am  going  to  have  no  one  with  me,"  Blossett 
roared,  "Do  you  think  I  am  going  to  be  treated 
like  a  blooming  kid.'  I  tell  you,  I  am  the  best 
man  of  the  lot  of  you.  There  isn't  one  of  you  can 
hold  a  candle  to  me.  Fenwick,  with  all  his  cunning, 
[233] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

is  a  cliild  compared  with  Ned  Blossett.  Ask  any 
of  the  old  gang  in  New  York,  ask  the  blistering  police 
if  you  like ;  and  as  to  the  rest  of  you,  who  are  you  ? 
A  set  of  whitefaced  mechanics,  without  pluck 
enough  to  rob  a  hen-roost.     Take  that,  you  cur ! " 

The  speaker  rose  suddenly  to  his  feet  and  lurched 
across  the  room  in  Fenwick's  direction.  He  aimed 
an  unexpected  blow  at  the  latter  which  sent  him 
headlong  to  the  floor,  and  immediately  the  whole 
room  was  a  scene  of  angry  violence. 

Vera  shrank  back  in  her  shelter,  hardly  knowing 
what  to  do  next.  She  saw  that  Blossett  had  dis- 
entangled himself  from  the  mob  about  him  and 
was  making  his  way  headlong  into  the  conservatory. 
There  was  nothing  for  it  but  instant  retreat.  On 
the  opposite  side  was  a  doorway  leading  to  the  gar- 
den, and  through  this  Vera  hastily  slipped  and 
darted  across  the  grass,  conscious  of  the  noise  and 
struggle  going  on  behind.  She  paused  with  a  little 
cry  of  vexation  as  she  came  close  to  a  man  who  was 
standing  on  the  edge  of  the  lawn  looking  at  the  house. 
It  was  only  for  a  moment  that  she  stood  there  in 
doubt;  then  a  glad  little  cry  broke  from  her  lips. 

"Charles,"  she  said.  "Mr.  Evors,  what  are  you 
doing    here  ?  " 

"  We  will  come  to  that  presently,"  Evors  replied. 

**  Meanwhile,  you  can  be  observed  frcto  where  you 

are,  and  those  rioters  yonder  may  make  it  awkward 

for  you.     When  they  have  patched  up  their  quarrel, 

[234] 


THE  PRODIGAL'S  RETURN 

I  will  return  to  the  house  with  you  and  explain.  We 
can  get  in  by  the  little  green  door  behind  the  gun- 
room." 

Vera  suffered  herself  to  be  led  away,  feeling  now 
utterly  unable  to  be  astonished  at  an}i;hing.  They 
came  at  length  to  the  secluded  side  of  the  house, 
where  the  girl  paused  and  looked  at  her  companion 
for  an  explanation. 

"You  seem  to  be  strangely  familiar  with  tliis 
place,"  she  said.  "  You  walk  about  here  in  the  dark 
as  if  you  had  known  this  house  all  your  lifetime. 
Have  you  been  here  before.^" 

"Many  a  time,"  Evors  replied  sadly.  "Up  to 
the  time  I  was  twenty  my  happiest  years  were  spent 
here.  But  I  see  you  are  still  in  the  dark.  Cannot 
you  guess  who  I  really  am,  Vera?  No.'  Then  I 
will  enlighten  you.  My  name  is  Charles  Evors,  and 
I  am  the  only  son  of  Lord  INIerton.  I  was  born  here, 
and,  if  the  Fates  are  good  to  me,  some  day  I  hope 
to  die  here." 


[235] 


CHAPTER  XXI 

The  Third  Finger 

Vera  ought  to  have  experienced  a  feeling  of  deepest 
surprise;  but  she  was  long  past  any  emotion  of  that 
kind.  On  the  contrary,  it  seemed  quite  natural 
that  Evors  should  be  there  telHng  her  tliis  extraor- 
dinary thing.  The  sounds  of  strife  and  tumult  in 
the  house  had  now  died  away;  apparently  the  men 
in  the  billiard-room  had  patched  up  their  quarrel, 
for  nothing  more  could  be  heard  save  a  sudden  pop 
which  sounded  like  the  withdrawal  of  a  cork.  With 
a  gesture  of  contempt,  Evors  pointed  to  the  billiard- 
room  window. 

"I  don't  think  you  need  worry  about  them,"  he 
said.  "As  far  as  I  can  judge,  they  were  bound  to 
come  to  some  truce." 

"  But  do  you  know  what  they  were  doing  ?  "  Vera 
asked. 

"I  haven't  the  remotest  idea,"  Evors  replied. 
"Some  rascality,  beyond  question.  There  always 
is  rascality  where  Fenwick  is  concerned.  Is  it  not 
a  strange  thing  that  I  should  come  down  here  and 
find  that  fellow  settled  in  the  home  of  my  ancestors  ?  " 
[236] 


THE   THIRD   FINGER 

"Then  you  did  not  come  down  on  purpose  to 
see  him  ? " 

"No,  I  came  here  entirely  on  my  own  responsi- 
biHty.  If  you  have  half-an-hour  to  spare,  and  you 
think  it  quite  safe,  I  will  tell  you  eveiyi;hing.  But 
there  is  one  thing  first,  one  assurance  you  must  give 
me,  or  I  am  bound  to  remain  silent.  The  death  of 
your  poor  father  in  that  mysterious  fashion — " 

"  Stop,"  Vera  said  gently.  "  I  know  exactly  what 
you  are  going  to  say.  You  want  me  to  believe  that 
you  had  no  hand  whatever  in  my  father's  murder. 
My  dear  Charles,  I  know  it  perfectly  well.  The  only 
thing  that  puzzles  me  is  why  you  acted  in  that  strange 
weak  fashion  after  the  discovery  of  the  crime." 

"That  is  exactlv  what  I  am  going  to  tell  vou," 
Evors  went  on.  "It  is  a  strange  story,  and  one 
which,  if  you  read  it  in  the  pages  of  a  book,  you 
would  be  inclined  to  discredit  entirely.  And  yet 
stranger  and  more  remarkable  things  happen  every 
day." 

Evors  led  the  way  to  a  secluded  path  beside  the 
terrace. 

"  You  need  not  worry  about  getting  to  the  house," 
he  said.  "  I  can  show  you  how  to  manage  that  at 
any  time  of  the  day  or  night  without  disturbing  any- 
body. I  am  afraid  that  on  many  occasions  I  put  my 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  premises  to  an  improper 
use,  and  that  was  the  beginning  of  mv  downfall. 
What  will  you  sav  to  me  when  I  confess  to  vou  that 
[237] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

•when  I  came  out  to  Mexico  I  was  driven  out  of  the 
old  country,  more  or  less,  like  a  criminal  ?  " 

"  I  understood  you  to  be  a  little  wild,"  Vera  said. 

"A  Httle  wild!"  Evors  echoed  bitterly.  "I 
behaved  in  a  perfectly  disgraceful  fashion.  I 
degraded  the  old  name,  I  made  it  a  byword  in  the 
district.  As  sure  as  I  am  standing  here  at  the 
present  moment,  I  am  more  or  less  answerable  for 
my  mother's  death.  It  is  a  strange  thing  with  us 
Evors  that  all  the  men  begin  in  tliis  way.  I  suppose 
it  is  some  taint  in  our  blood.  Up  to  the  age  of  five- 
and-twenty,  we  have  always  been  more  like  devils 
than  men,  and  then,  for  the  most  part,  we  have 
settled  down  to  wipe  out  the  past  and  become  re- 
spectable members  of  society,  I  think  my  father 
recognised  that,  though  he  was  exceedingly  hard  and 
stern  with  me.  Finally,  after  one  more  unusually 
disgraceful  episode,  he  turned  me  out  of  the  house, 
and  said  he  hoped  never  to  look  upon  my  face  again. 
I  was  deeply  in  debt,  I  had  not  a  penny  that  I  could 
call  my  own,  and,  finally,  I  drifted  out  to  Mexico 
with  the  assistance  of  a  boon  companion.  On  the 
way  out  I  took  a  solemn  oath  that  I  would  do  my 
best  to  redeem  the  past.  I  felt  heartily  ashamed  of 
my  evil  ways;  and  for  six  months  no  one  could 
possibly  have  led  a  purer  and  better  life  than  my- 
self. It  was  about  this  time  that  I  became  acquaint- 
ed with  your  father  and  your  sister  Beth." 

Evors  paused  a  moment  and  paced  up  and  down 
[238] 


THE  THIRD  FINGER 

the  avenue  with  Vera  by  his  side.  She  saw  that  he 
was  disturbed  about  something,  so  that  she  deemed 
it  best  not  to  interrupt  him. 

"  It  was  like  getting  back  to  a  better  world  again,'* 
Evors  went  on.  "I  believed  that  I  had  conquered 
myself ;  I  felt  pretty  sure  of  it,  or  I  would  have  never 
encouraged  the  friendship  with  your  sister,  which 
she  offered  me  from  the  first.  I  don't  know  how 
it  was  or  why  it  was  that  I  did  not  see  much  of  you 
about  that  time,  but  you  were  not  in  the  mountains 
with  the  others." 

"  I  was  down  in  the  city,"  Vera  explained.  "  There 
was  a  friend  of  mine  who  had  had  a  long  serious 
illness,  and  I  was  engaged  in  nursing  her.  That 
is  the  reason." 

"But  it  doesn't  much  matter,"  Evors  went  on. 
"You  were  not  there  to  watch  my  friendship  for 
Beth  ripening  into  a  warmer  and  deeper  feeling. 
Mind  you,  she  had  not  the  remotest  idea  who  I 
really  was,  nor  had  your  father.  They  were  quite 
content  to  take  me  on  trust,  they  had  no  vulgar 
curiosity  as  to  my  past.  And  then  the  time  came 
when  Beth  discovered  what  my  feelings  were,  and 
I  knew  that  she  had  given  her  heart  to  me.  I  had 
not  intended  to  speak,  I  had  sternly  schooled  my- 
self to  hold  my  tongue  until  I  had  completed  my 
probation;  but  one  never  knows  how  these  things 
come  about.  It  was  all  so  spontaneous,  so  unex- 
pected— and  before  I  knew  what  had  really  happen- 
[239] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

ed,  we  were  engaged.  It  was  the  happiest  time  of 
my  hfe.  I  had  rid  myself  of  all  my  bad  habits.  I 
was  in  the  full  flush  and  vigor  of  my  manhood.  I 
did  not  say  anything  to  Beth  about  the  past,  because 
I  felt  that  she  would  not  understand,  but  I  told  your 
father  pretty  nearly  everything  except  who  I  really 
was,  for  I  had  made  up  my  mind  not  to  take  the  old 
name  again  until  I  had  really  earned  the  right  to  do 
so.  Of  course,  the  name  of  Evors  conveyed  no 
impression  to  anybody.  It  did  not  imply  that  I 
was  heir  to  Lord  Merton.  Your  father  was  intense- 
ly friendly  and  sympathetic,  he  seemed  to  under- 
stand exactly.  We  became  more  than  friends,  and 
this  is  how  it  came  about  that  I  accompanied  him 
finally  on  one  of  his  secret  visits  to  the  Four  Finger 
Mine.  Your  father's  regular  journeys  to  the  mine 
had  resulted  in  his  becoming  a  rich  man,  and,  as  you 
know,  he  always  kept  the  secret  to  himself,  taking 
nobody  with  him  as  a  rule,  with  the  exception  of 
Fehx  Zary.  I  will  speak  of  Zary  again  presently. 
You  know  how  faithful  he  was  to  your  father,  and 
how  he  would  have  laid  down  his  hfe  for  him." 

"Zary  was  an  incomprehensible  character," 
Vera  said.  "  He  was  one  of  the  surviving,  or,  rather, 
the  only  surviving  member  of  the  tribe  who  placed 
the  Four  Finger  Mine  in  my  father's  hands.  That 
was  done  solely  out  of  gratitude,  and  Zary  steadfastly 
declined  to  benefit  one  penny  from  the  gold  of  the 
mine.  He  had  a  curious  contempt  for  money, 
[240] 


THE  THIRD  FINGER 

and  he  always  said  that  the  gold  from  the  Four  Finger 
IVIine  had  brought  a  curse  on  his  tribe.  I  really 
never  got  to  the  bottom  of  it,  and  I  don't  suppose  I 
ever  shall;  but  I  am  interrupting  you,  Charles. 
W'i'l  you  please  go  on  with  your  story." 

"Wliere  was  I.'"  Evors  asked.  "Oh,  yes,  I 
was  just  leading  up  to  the  time  when  I  accompanied 
your  father  on  his  last  fatal  journey  to  the  mine. 
At  one  time  I  understand  it  was  his  intention  to 
take  with  him  the  Dutchman,  Van  Fort,  or  your 
mother's  brother,  Mark  Fenwick.  However,  your 
father  decided  against  this  plan,  and  I  went  with 
him  instead.  To  a  great  extent  it  was  my  doing  so 
that  kept  Van  Fort  and  Fenwick  out  of  it,  for  I  dis- 
trusted both  those  men,  and  I  believed  that  they 
would  have  been  guilty  of  any  crime  to  learn  the 
secret  of  the  mine.  Your  father,  always  trustful 
and  confiding,  laughed  at  my  fears,  and  we  started 
on  that  fateful  journey.  I  don't  want  to  harrow 
your  feelings  unnecessarily,  or  describe  in  detail 
how  your  father  died ;  but  he  was  foully  murdered, 
and,  as  sure  as  I  am  in  the  presence  of  my  Maker, 
the  murder  was  accomplished  either  by  the  Dutch- 
man or  Fenwick,  or  between  the  two  of  them. 
Zary  mysteriously  vanished  about  the  same  time,. 
and  there  was  no  one  to  back  me  up  in  my  story. 
You  may  judge  of  my  horror  and  surprise  a  little 
later  when  Van  Fort  and  Fen^A^ck  entered  into  a 
deliberate  conspiracy  to  prove  that  I  was  responsible 
16  [241] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

for  your  father's  death.  They  laid  their  plans  with 
such  a  diabolical  ingenuity  that,  had  I  been  placed 
upon  my  trial  at  that  time,  I  should  have  been  hanged 
to  a  certainty.  They  even  went  so  far  as  to  tell 
Beth  what  had  happened,  with  what  result  upon  her 
mind  you  know.  At  this  time  Van  Fort  disappeared, 
and  was  never  heard  of  again.  Of  the  strange  weird 
vengeance  which  followed  him  I  will  talk  another 
time.  I  suppose  I  lost  my  nerve  utterly,  for  I  be- 
came as  clay  in  the  hands  of  Mark  Fenwick.  Badly 
as  he  was  treating  me,  he  professed  to  be  my  friend, 
and  assured  me  he  had  found  a  way  by  which  I 
could  escape  from  the  death  which  threatened  me. 
Goodness  only  knows  what  he  had  in  his  mind; 
perhaps  he  wanted  to  part  Beth  and  myself  and  get 
all  your  father's  money  into  his  hands.  I  suppose 
he  reckoned  without  your  brother,  though  the 
latter  did  not  count  for  much  just  then,  seeing  that 
he  was  in  the  hospital  at  Vera  Cranz,  hovering  be- 
tween life  and  death,  as  the  result  of  his  accident. 
For  my  own  part,  I  never  believed  it  was  an  ac- 
cident at  all.  I  believed  that  Fenwick  engineered 
the  whole  business.  But  that  is  all  by  the  way. 
Like  the  weak  fool  that  I  was,  I  fell  in  with  Fen  wick's 
suggestion  and  allowed  myself  to  become  a  veritable 
tool  in  his  hands,  but  I  did  not  go  till  I  heard  that 
you  had  come  back  again  to  look  after  Beth." 

Vera  recollected  the  time  perfectly  well;   she  was 
following  Evors'  narrative  with  breathless  interest. 
[242] 


THE  THIRD  FINGER 

How  well  she  recollected  the  day  of  her  own  marriage 
and  the  receipt  of  that  dreadful  letter,  which  parted 
Gerald  and  herself  on  the  very  steps  of  the  altar, 
and  transformed  her  life  from  one  of  happiness  into 
one  of  absolute  self-sacrifice.  She  was  beginning 
to  see  daylight  now,  she  was  beginning  to  discern  a 
way  at  length,  whereby  she  would  be  able  to  defy 
Fenwick  and  part  with  him  for  all  time. 

"  It  is  getting  quite  plain  now,"  she  said.  "  But 
please  go  on.  You  cannot  think  how  deeply  inter- 
ested I  am  in  all  you  are  saying.  Presently  I  will 
tell  you  my  side  of  the  story.  How  I  came  to  part 
with  Beth,  how  I  placed  her  in  my  brother's  hands, 
how  I  elected  to  remain  with  Mark  Fenwick,  and 
my  reasons  for  so  doing.  I  may  say  that  one  of 
my  principal  reasons  for  staying  with  my  uncle  was 
to  discover  the  real  cause  of  my  father's  death.  That 
you  had  anything  to  do  with  it  I  never  really  be- 
lieved, though  appearances  were  terribly  against 
you,  and  you  deliberately  elected  to  make  them  look 
worse.  But  we  need  not  go  into  that  now.  What 
happened  to  you  after  you  fled  from  INIexico  .^  " 

"  I  am  very  much  afraid  that  I  dropped  back  into 
the  old  habits,"  Evors  said,  contritely.  "  I  was  reck- 
less and  desperate,  and  cared  nothing  for  anybody. 
I  had  honestly  done  my  best  to  atone  for  the  past, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  that  Fate  was  dealing  with  me 
■with  a  cruelty  which  I  did  not  deserve.  One  or 
two  of  Fenwick's  parasites  accompanied  me  every- 
[243] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

where;  there  seemed  to  be  no  lack  of  money,  and 
I  had  pretty  well  all  I  wanted.  There  were  times, 
of  course,  when  I  tried  to  break  the  spell,  but  they 
used  to  drug  me  then,  until  my  mind  began  to  give 
way  under  the  strain.  Sometimes  we  were  in  Paris, 
sometimes  we  were  in  London,  but  I  have  not  the 
slightest  recollection  of  how  I  got  from  one  place  to 
another.  I  was  like  a  man  who  is  constantly  on 
the  verge  of  delirium.  How  long  this  had  been 
going  on  I  can't  tell  you,  but  finally  I  came  to  my 
senses  in  the  house  in  London,  and  there  for  two 
days  I  was  practically  all  right.  All  through  this 
time  I  had  the  deepest  horror  of  the  drink  with 
which  they  plied  me,  and  on  this  occasion  the  horror 
had  grown  no  less.  For  some  reason  or  another, 
no  doubt  it  was  an  oversight,  they  neglected  me  for 
two  days,  and  I  began  to  get  rapidly  better.  Then, 
by  the  purest  chance  in  the  world,  I  discovered  that 
I  was  actually  under  the  same  roof  as  Beth  and  your 
brother,  and  the  knowledge  was  like  medicine  to 
me.  I  refused  everything  those  men  offered  me, 
I  demanded  to  be  allowed  to  go  out  on  business. 
They  refused,  and  a  strange  new  strength  filled 
my  veins.  I  contrived  to  get  the  better  of  the  two 
men,  and  half  an  hour  afterward  I  left  the  house  in 
company  with  your  brother." 

All  this  was  news  indeed  to  Vera,  but  she  asked 
no  questions — she  was  quite  content  to  stand  there 
and  listen  to  all  that  Evors  had  to  say. 
[244] 


THE  THIRD   FINGER 

"I  would  not  stay  with  your  brother,"  he  went 
on.  "  I  went  off  immediately  to  an  old  friend  of 
mine,  to  whom  I  told  a  portion  of  my  story.  He 
supplied  me  with  money  and  clothing,  and  advised 
me  that  the  best  thing  I  could  do  was  to  go  quietly 
away  into  the  country  and  give  myself  an  entire  rest. 
I  followed  his  advice,  and  I  drifted  down  here,  I 
suppose,  in  the  same  way  that  an  animal  finds  his 
way  home.  I  did  not  know  my  father  was  away,  and 
you  can  imagine  my  surprise  when  I  discovered  to 
whom  he  had  left  the  house.  I  feel  pretty  much 
myself  now ;  there  is  no  danger  of  my  sho'w'ing  the 
white  feather  again.  If  you  are  in  any  trouble  or 
distress,  a  line  to  the  address  on  this  card  will  bring^ 
me  to  you  at  any  time.  In  this  house  there  are  cer- 
tain lii ding-places  where  I  could  secrete  myself  with- 
out anybody  being  the  wiser;  but  we  need  not  go 
into  that.  Now  perhaps  you  had  better  return  to  the 
house,  or  you  may  be  missed.  Good-night,  Vera. 
You  cannot  tell  how  wonderfully  helpful  your 
sympathy  has  been  to  me." 

He  was  gone  a  moment  later,  and  Vera  returned 
slowly  and  thoughtfully  to  the  house.  The  place 
was  perfectly  quiet  now;  the  billiard-room  door 
was  open,  and  Vera  could  see  that  the  apartment 
was  deserted.  Apparently  the  household  had  re- 
tired to  rest,  though  it  seemed  to  be  nobody's 
business  to  fasten  up  the  doors.  Most  of  the  lights 
"VN'ere  out,  for  it  was  getting  very  late  now,  so  that 
[245] 


THE  IVIYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

there  was  nothing  for  it  but  for  Vera  to  go  up  the  stairs 
to  her  own  room.  She  had  hardly  reached  the  land- 
ing when  a  door  halfway  down  burst  open,  and  Fen- 
wick  stood  there  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice  for 
such  of  his  men  as  he  mentioned  by  name.  He  seem- 
ed to  be  almost  beside  himself  with  passion,  though 
at  the  same  time  his  face  was  pallid  with  a  terrible 
fear.  He  held  a  small  object  in  his  hand,  which  he 
appeared  to  regard  with  disgust  and  loathing. 

"Why  don't  some  of  you  come  out.''"  he  yelled. 
*'  You  drunken  dogs,  where  have  you  all  gone  to  ? 
Let  the  man  come  out  who  has  played  this  trick  on 
me,  and  I'll  break  every  bone  in  his  body." 

One  or  two  heads  emerged,  and  presently  a  little 
group  stood  around  the  enraged  and  affrighted  Fen- 
wick.  Standing  in  a  doorway,  Vera  could  hear 
every  v.ord  that  passed. 

"I  locked  my  door  after  dinner,"  Fenwick  said. 
"It  is  a  patent  lock,  no  key  but  mine  will  fit  it. 
When  I  go  to  bed  I  find  this  thing  lying  on  the 
dressing   table." 

"Another  of  the  fingers,"  a  voice  cried.  "The 
third  finger.  Are  you  quite  sure  that  you  locked 
your  door.''" 

"I'll  swear  it,"  Fenwick  yelled.  "And  if  one  of 
you — but,  of  course,  it  can't  be  one  of  you.  There 
is  no  getting  rid  of  this  accursed  thing.  And  when 
the  last  one  comes " 

Fenwick  stopped  as  if  something  choked  him, 
[246] 


CHAPTER  XXII 

**The  Time  Will  Come  " 

The  startled  group  on  the  stairs  stood  gazing  at 
Fenwick  as  if  they  were  stricken  dumb.  There 
was  not  one  of  them  who  had  the  shghtest  advice 
to  offer,  not  one  of  them  but  felt  that  Fenwick's 
time  was  close  at  hand.  Every  man  there  knew  by 
heart  the  strange  story  of  the  Four  Finger  Mine, 
and  of  the  vengeance  wliich  had  overtaken  the 
Dutchman.  The  same  unseen  vengeance  was 
very  near  Fenwick  now;  he  had  had  his  three 
warnings,  and  there  was  but  one  more  to  come  be- 
fore the  final  note  of  tragedy  was  struck.  Most  of 
them  looked  with  dazed  fascination  at  the  mutilated 
left  hand  of  their  chief. 

"  How  did  you  lose  yours .'' "  somebody  whispered. 

"  Don't  ask  me,"  Fenwick  said  hoarsely.  "  I 
break  into  a  cold  sweat  whenever  I  think  of  it. 
But  why  don't  you  do  what  I  tell  you  ?  Why  don't 
you  find  Zary  ?  Find  him  out  and  bring  him  down 
here,  and  then  I  can  laugh  at  the  vengeance  of  the 
Four  Fingers.  But  I  have  my  plans  laid,  and  I 
shall  know  how  to  act  when  the  times  comes. 
Now  you  all  get  off  to  bed  again  and  forget  all  my 
[247] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

foolishness.  I  suppose  I  was  startled  by  seeing  that 
accursed  thing  lying  on  my  table,  and  lost  my  nerve. 

The  little  group  melted  away,  and  once  more  the 
house  became  silent.  When  morning  came  there 
was  no  sign  or  suggestion  of  the  events  of  the  night 
before.  For  the  first  time  for  many  months,  Vera 
felt  comparatively  happy.  She  felt,  too,  that  at 
last  she  was  reaping  the  reward  of  all  her  self- 
sacrifice,  and  was  approaching  the  time  when  she 
would  be  able  to  throw  off  the  yoke  and  take  up  her 
life  at  the  point  where  she  had  dropped  it.  She 
could  afford  to  wait  on  events  now;  she  could  afford 
to  possess  her  soul  in  patience  till  the  hour  and  the 
man  came  together. 

Somewhat  to  her  relief,  Fenwick  did  not  appear 
at  breakfast,  so  that,  for  once,  she  could  partake 
of  the  meal  in  comparative  comfort.  Swaggering 
up  and  down  the  terrace  outside,  with  a  large  cigar 
in  his  mouth,  was  the  man  who  called  himself 
Blossett.  He  had  the  air  of  one  who  is  waiting  for 
something;  possibly  he  was  waiting  for  the  parcel 
which  had  been  the  means  of  breeding  last  night's 
disturbance  in  the  billiard-room.  Anyway,  Vera 
noticed  that  Fenwick  was  very  busy  up  and  down- 
stairs, and  that  all  his  parasites  had  gathered  in  the 
little  room  at  the  end  of  the  corridor.  For  the 
present,  at  any  rate,  Vera's  curiosity  was  satisfied. 
She  had  no  intention  of  running  any  more  risks, 
and  as  soon  as  she  had  finished  her  breakfast  she 
[248] 


"THE  TIME  WILL  COME" 

went  out  into  the  grounds,  with  no  intention  of  re- 
turning before  lunch.  She  made  her  way  across 
the  wood  which  led  to  the  high  road,  on  the  possible 
chance  of  meeting  Gerald.  It  was  not  Gerald, 
however,  who  advanced  from  the  deepest  part  of 
the  copse  to  meet  her,  but  the  thin,  cadaverous  form 
of  Felix  Zary.  He  advanced  towards  the  girl,  and, 
in  a  grave,  respectful  way,  he  lifted  her  hand  to  his 
lips. 

"You  had  not  expected  me,  dear  lady,"  he  said. 

"  Well  no,  Felix,"  Vera  said.  "  Though  I  am  not 
in  the  least  surprised.  I  suppose  ISIr.  Venner  has 
been  to  see  you  and  has  explained  to  you  the  mean- 
ing of  that  sheet  of  blank  paper  which  reached  you 
in  an  envelope  bearing  my  handwriting." 

"I  have  seen  Mr.  Venner,"  Zary  replied  in  his 
smooth,  respectful,  even  voice,  "  and  he  explained  to 
me.  I  did  not  suspect — if  I  had  received  your  letter 
I  should  have  come  to  you  at  once — I  believe  I  would 
come  beyond  the  grave  at  the  call  of  one  bearing 
the  beloved  name  of  Le  Fenu.  There  is  nothing  I 
would  not  do  for  you.  At  this  moment  I  owe  my  life 
to  your  resourcefulness  and  courage.  Had  I  come 
in  response  to  your  letter,  I  should  never  have  left 
the  house  alive.  Fenwick  would  have  murdered 
me,  and  the  vengeance  of  the  Four  Fingers  would 
have  been  lost." 

"  Why  should  it  not  be  ? "  Vera  said  with  a  shud- 
der. "  Why  extract  blood  for  blood  in  this  fashion  ? 
[249] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Can  all  your  revenge  bring  my  dear  father  back  to 
life  again?  And  yet  the  vengeance  draws  nearer 
and  nearer,  as  I  know.  I  saw  Mark  Fenwick  last 
night  after  he  had  received  the  third  of  those  dread- 
ful messages,  and  he  was  frightened  to  the  depths 
of  his  soul.     Let  me  implore  you  not  to  go  any 

further " 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  say  yes  or  no,"  Zary  responded 
in  the  same  quiet,  silky  manner.  It  seemed  almost 
impossible  to  identify  this  man  with  murder  and 
outrage.  "I  am  but  an  instrument.  I  can  only 
follow  the  dictates  of  my  instinct.  I  cannot  get 
away  from  the  traditions  of  the  tribe  to  which  I 
belong.  For  two  years  now  I  have  been  a  wanderer 
on  the  face  of  the  earth ;  I  have  been  in  many  strange 
cities  and  seen  many  strange  things ;  with  the  occult 
science  that  I  inherited  from  my  ancestors,  the 
Aztecs,  I  have  earned  my  daily  bread.  I  am  what 
some  call  a  medium,  some  call  a  conjurer,  some  call 
a  charlatan  and  a  quack.  It  is  all  the  same  what 
they  call  me,  so  long  as  I  have  the  knowledge.  For 
generations  the  vengeance  of  the  Four  Fingers  has 
descended  upon  those  who  violate  the  secret  of 
the  mine,  and  so  it  must  be  to  the  end  of  time.  If 
I  did  not  obey  the  voice  within  me,  if  I  refused  to 
recognise  the  forms  of  my  ancestors  as  they  come  to 
me  in  dreams,  I  should  for  ever  and  ever  be  a  spirit 
wandering  through  space.  Ah,  dear  lady,  there  are 
things  you  do  not  know,  things,  thank  God,  beyond 
[250] 


"THE  TIME  WILL  COME" 

your  comprehension,  so,  therefore,  do  not  interfere. 
Rest  assured  that  this  thing  is  absolute  and  in- 
evitable." 

Zary  spoke  with  a  certain  gentle  inspiration,  as 
if  all  this  was  part  of  some  ritual  that  he  was  repeat- 
ing by  heart.  Quiet,  almost  timid  as  he  looked. 
Vera  knew  from  past  experience  that  no  efforts  of 
hers  could  turn  him  from  his  intention.  That  he 
would  do  anything  for  a  Le  Fenu  she  knew  full  well, 
and  all  this  in  return  for  some  little  kindness  which 
her  father  had  afforded  one  or  two  of  the  now  almost 
extinct  tribe  from  which  had  come  the  secret  of  the 
Four  Finger  IVIine.  And  Zary  was  absolutely  the 
last  of  his  race.     There  would  be  none  to  follow  him. 

"Very  well,"  she  said,  "I  see  that  anytliing  I 
could  say  would  be  wasted  on  you,  nor  would  I  ask 
you  what  you  are  going  to  do  next,  because  I  am 
absolutely  convinced  that  you  would  not  tell  me  if 
I  did.     Still,  I  have  a  right  to  know " 

"You  have  a  right  to  know  notliing,"  Zary  said, 
in  a  tone  of  deep  humility.  "  But  do  not  be  afraid — 
the  vengeance  will  not  fall  yet,  for  are  not  the  warn- 
ings still  incomplete.'  I  will  ask  you  to  leave  me 
here  and  go  your  way." 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  obey,  and  Vera 
passed  slowly  through  the  wood  in  the  direction  of 
the  high  road.  A  strange  weird  smile  flickered  about 
the  corner  of  Zary's  mouth,  as  he  stood  there  still 
and  motionless,  like  some  black  statue.  His  lips 
[251] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

moved,  but  no  words  came  from  them.  He  appeared 
to  be  uttering  something  that  might  have  passed  for 
a  silent  prayer.  He  took  a  battered  gold  watch 
from  his  pocket  and  consulted  it  with  an  air  of  grim 
satisfaction.  Then,  suddenly,  he  drew  behind  a 
thicket  of  undergrowth,  for  his  quick  ears  detected 
the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps.  Almost  im- 
mediately the  big  form  of  Fenwick  loomed  in  the 
opening,  and  a  hoarse  voice  asked  if  somebody 
were  there.  Zary  stepped  out  again  and  confronted 
Fenwick,  who  started  back  as  if  the  slim  black 
apparition  had  been  a  ghost. 

"You  here!"  he  stammered.  "I  did  not  expect 
to  see  you — I  came  here  prepared  to  find  somebody 
quite  different." 

"It  matters  little  whom  you  came  to  find,"  Zary 
said.  "The  message  sent  to  bring  you  here  was 
merely  a  ruse  of  mine.  Murderer  and  treacherous 
dog  that  you  are,  so  you  thought  to  get  me  here  in 
the  house  among  your  hired  assassins  by  means  of 
the  letter  which  you  compelled  my  dear  mistress 
to  write?  Are  you  mad  that  you  should  pit  your 
paltry  wits  against  mine.^" 

"  I  am  as  good  as  you,"  Fenwick  said. 

"  Oh,  you  rave,"  Zary  went  on.  "  I  am  the  heir 
of  the  ages.  A  thousand  years  of  culture,  of  re- 
search, of  peeps  behind  the  veil,  have  gone  to  make 
me  what  I  am.  Your  scientists  and  your  occult 
researchers  think  they  have  discovered  much,  but, 
[252] 


"THE  TIME  WILL  COME" 

compared  with  mc,  they  are  but  as  children  arguing 
with  sages.  Before  the  letter  was  written,  the 
spirits  that  float  on  the  air  had  told  me  of  its  coming. 
I  have  only  to  raise  my  hand  and  you  wither  up  like 
a  drop  of  dew  in  the  eye  of  the  sunshine.  I  have  only 
to  say  the  word  and  you  die  a  thousand  lingering 
deaths  in  one — but  for  such  cattle  as  you  the  ven- 
geance of  the  Four  Fingers  is  enough.  You  shall 
die  even  as  the  Dutchman  died,  you  shall  perish 
miserably  with  your  reason  gone  and  your  nerves 
shattered.  If  you  could  see  yourself  now  as  I  caa 
see  you,  with  that  dreadful  look  of  fear  haunting 
your  eyes,  you  would  know  that  the  dread  poison 
had  already  begun  its  work.  The  third  warning 
came  to  you  last  night,  the  message  that  you  should 
get  your  affairs  in  order  and  be  prepared  for  the  in- 
evitable. The  Dutchman  is  no  more,  his  foul  wretch 
of  a  wife  died,  a  poor  wreck  of  a  woman,  bereft  of 
sense  and  reason." 

"  This  is  fine  talk,"  Fenwick  stammered.  "  AVhat 
have  you  against  me  that  you  should  threaten  me 
like  this  ?  " 

Zary  raised  his  hand  aloft  with  a  dramatic  gesture ; 
his  great  round  black  eyes  were  filled  with  a  luminous 
fire. 

"Listen,"  he  said.  "Listen  and  heed.  I  am 
the  last  of  my  race,  a  race  which  has  been  persecuted 
by  the  alien  and  interloper  for  the  last  three  cen- 
turies. Time  was  when  we  were  a  great  and 
r253] 


THE  IVIYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

powerful  people,  educated  and  enlightened  beyond 
the  dreams  of  to-day.  Our  great  curse  was  the 
possession  of  large  tracts  of  land  which  contained 
the  gold  for  which  you  Eastern  people  are  pre- 
pared to  barter  honor  and  integrity  and  everything 
that  the  honest  man  holds  dear.  For  it  you  are 
prepared  to  sacrifice  your  wives  and  children,  you 
are  prepared  to  cut  the  throat  of  your  best  friend. 
When  you  found  your  heart's  desire  in  my  country, 
you  came  in  your  thousands,  and  by  degrees  mur- 
ders and  assassination  worked  havoc  with  my 
tribe.  It  was  not  till  quite  recently  that  there  came 
another  man  from  the  East,  a  different  class  of 
creature  altogether.  I  am  alluding  to  your  late 
brother-in-law,  George  Le  Fenu.  He  sought  no 
gold  or  treasure;  he  came  to  us,  he  healed  us  of 
diseases  of  which  we  knew  no  cure.  And  in  return 
for  that  we  gave  him  the  secret  of  the  Four  Finger 
Mine.  It  was  because  he  had  the  secret  of  the  mine 
and  because  he  refused  to  share  it  with  you  that  you 
and  the  Dutchman,  with  the  aid  of  his  foul  wife,, 
killed  him." 

"  It's  a  he,"  Fenwick  stammered.  **  George  Le 
Fenu  suffered  notliing  at  my  hands.  It  was  the 
young  man  Evors." 

"It   is  false,"   Zary  thundered.     His   eyes   were 

dark,   and  in  a  sudden  flood   of  fury  he  reached 

out  a  long  thin  hand  and  clutched  Fenwick  by  the 

collar.     "Why  tell  me  this  when  I  know  so  well 

[254] 


"THE  TIME  WILL  COME" 

how  the  whole  thing  happened  ?  I  can  give  it  you 
now  chapter  and  verse,  only  it  would  merely  be  a 
waste  of  breath.  I  declare  as  I  stand  here  with  my 
hand  almost  touching  your  flesh  that  I  can  scarcely 
wait  for  the  vengeance,  so  eager  am  I  to  extract  the 
debt  that  you  owe  to  George  Le  Fenu  and  his 
children." 

By  way  of  reply,  Fenwick  dashed  his  fist  full 
into  the  face  of  Zary.  The  latter  drew  back  just 
in  time  to  avoid  a  crushing  blow;  then  his  long  thin 
arms  twisted  about  the  form  of  his  bulky  antagonist 
as  a  snake  winds  about  his  prey.  So  close  and 
tenacious,  so  wonderfully  tense  was  the  grip,  that 
Fenwick  fairly  gasped  for  breath.  He  had  not 
expected  a  virile  force  like  this  in  one  so  slender. 
A  bony  leg  was  pressed  into  the  small  of  liis  back — 
he  tottered  backward  and  lay  upon  the  mossy  turf 
with  Zary  with  one  bony  hand  at  his  throat,  on  the 
top  of  him.  It  was  all  so  sudden  and  so  utterly  unex- 
pected that  Fenwick  could  only  gasp  in  astonish- 
ment. Then  he  became  conscious  of  the  fact  that 
Zary's  great  luminous  eyes  were  bent,  full  of  hate, 
upon  his  face.  A  long  curved  knife  gleamed  in  the 
sunsliine.      Very  slowly  the  words  came  from  Zary. 

"I  could  finish  you  now,"  he  whispered.  "I 
could  end  it  once  and  for  all.  It  is  only  for  me  to 
put  in  action  the  forces  that  I  know  of,  and  you 
would  utterly  vanish  from  here,  leaving  no  trace 

behind.     One  swift  blow  of  this  knife " 

[255] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"What  are  you  doing?"  a  voice  asked  eagerly. 
"Zary,  have  you  taken  leave  of  your  senses?  Re- 
lease him  at  once,  I  say." 

Very  slowly  Zary  replaced  the  knife  in  his  pocket 
and  rose  to  his  feet.  There  was  not  the  least  trace 
of  his  recent  passion — he  was  perfectly  calm  and 
collected,  his  breathing  was  as  even  and  regular  as 
it  had  been  before  the  onslaught. 

"You  are  quite  right,  master,"  he  said.  "I  had 
almost  forgotten  myself.  I  am  humiliated  and 
ashamed.  The  mere  touch  of  that  man  is  pollu- 
tion.    We  shall  meet  again,  Mr.  Evors." 

Zary  went  calmly  away  and  vanished  in  the  thick 
undergrowth  as  quickly  and  mysteriously  as  if  he 
had  been  spirited  from  the  spot.  Fenwick  rose  to 
his  feet  and  wiped  the  stains  from  his  clothing. 

"I  certainly  owe  you  one  for  that,"  he  growled. 
"That  fellow  would  most  assuredly  have  murdered 
me  if  you  had  not  come  up  just  at  the  right  moment. 
It  is  fortunate,  too,  that  you  should  have  turned  up 
here  just  now.  Come  as  far  as  the  house.  I  should 
like  to  say  a  few  words  to  you  in  private." 

It  was  well,  perhaps,  that  Evors  could  not  see  the 
expression  of  his  companion's  face,  that  he  did  not 
note  the  look  of  mingled  triumph  and  malice  that 
distorted  it.  It  never  for  a  moment  occurred  to  him 
as  possible  that  black  treachery  could  follow  so 
closely  upon  the  heels  of  his  own  magnanimity. 
Without  the  slightest  demur  he  followed  Fenwick 
[256] 


"THE  TIME  WILL  COME" 

to  the  house.  The  latter  led  the  way  upstairs  into 
a  room  overlooking  the  ancient  part  of  the  house, 
murmuring  something  to  the  effect  that  here  was  the 
thing  that  he  wished  to  show  Evors.  They  were 
inside  the  room  at  length,  then,  with  a  muttered 
excuse,  Fenwick  hastened  from  the  room.  The  key 
clicked  in  the  door  outside,  and  Evors  knew  that  he 
was  once  more  a  prisoner. 

"You  stay  there  till  I  want  you,"  Fenwick  cried. 
"I'll  teach  you  to  play  these  tricks  on  me  after  all 
I  have  done  for  you." 

"You  rascal,"  Evors  responded.  "And  so  you 
think  that  you  have  me  a  prisoner  once  more. 
"Walk  to  the  end  of  the  corridor  and  back,  then  come 
in  here  again  and  I  will  have  a  pleasant  surprise  for 
you.     You  need  not  be  afraid — I  am  not  armed." 

Perhaps  some  sudden  apprehension  possessed  Fen- 
wick, for  he  turned  rapidly  as  he  was  walking  away 
and  once  more  opened  the  door.  Evors  had  been 
as  good  as  his  word — the  surprise  which  he  had 
promised  Fenwick  was  complete  and  absolute. 

"Vanished,"  Fenwick  cried.  "Gone!  Curse 
him,  what  can  have  become  of  him  ?  " 


17  [  257  ] 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

Smoked  Out 

A  FEELING  of  helpless  exasperation  gripped  Fen- 
wick  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  emotions.  Every- 
thing seemed  to  be  going  wrong  just  now;  turn  in 
any  direction  he  pleased  some  obstacle  blocked  his 
path.  Like  most  cunning  criminals  he  could  never 
quite  dispossess  himself  of  the  idea  that  honesty 
and  cleverness  never  went  together.  All  honest 
men  were  fools  of  necessity,  and  therefore  the  legi- 
timate prey  of  rogues  like  himself.  And  yet,  though 
he  was  more  or  less  confronted  now  with  men  of 
integrity,  he  was  as  helpless  in  their  hands  as  if  he 
had  been  a  child.  The  maddening  part  of  the  whole 
thing  was  his  inability  to  find  anything  to  strike. 
He  was  like  a  general  leading  an  army  into  the  dark 
in  a  strange  country,  and  knowing  all  the  time  that 
he  had  cunning  unseen  foes  to  fight. 

Thoughts  like  these  were  uppermost  in  Fenwick's 
mind  as  he  gazed  in  consternation  about  the  little 
Toom  from  which  Evors  had  vanished.  So  far  as 
Fenwick  knew,  Evors  had  saved  his  life  from  Zary, 
but  that  had  not  prevented  Fenwick  from  behaving 
in  a  dastardly  fashion.  It  seemed  to  him  as  if 
[258] 


SMOKED   OUT 

Fate  were  playing  into  his  hands  by  bringing  Evors 
here  at  this  moment.  Hitherto  he  had  found  Evors 
such  plastic  material  that  he  had  never  seriously 
considered  him  in  the  light  of  a  foe.  Now,  for  the 
first  time,  he  saw  how  greatly  he  had  been  mistaken. 

"  Where  can  the  fellow  have  gone  to  'i  "  he  mut- 
tered. "  And  whence  comes  his  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  house  ?  " 

He  tapped  the  walls,  he  examined  the  floor,  but 
there  was  no  sign  whatever  of  the  means  by  which 
Evors  had  made  good  his  escape. 

Fenwick  furiously  rang  the  bell  and  demanded 
that  the  old  caretaker  should  be  sent  to  him  at  once. 
The  man  came  to  him,  shambling  unsteadily  along 
and  breathing  fast  as  if  he  had  been  running.  His 
aged  features  were  quivering  with  some  strange 
excitement,  as  Fenwick  did  not  fail  to  notice,  de- 
spite his  own  perturbation. 

"What  on  earth  is  the  matter  with  you.^"  he 
exclaimed.  "  You  look  as  if  you  had  seen  a  ghost ! 
What  is  it.'     Speak  up,  man!" 

"  It  isn't  that,  sir,"  the  old  man  said  in  trembling 
tones.  "It  is  a  sight  that  I  never  expected  to  see 
again.  A  bit  wild  he  was — aye,  a  rare  handful  at 
times,  though  we  were  all  precious  fond  of  him. 
And  to  see  him  back  here  again  like  this " 

"  What  the  devil  are  you  talking  about .' "  Fenwick 
burst  out  furiously.  "  The  old  fool  is  in  his  second 
childhood." 

[259] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"It  was  the  young  master,"  the  caretaker  babbled 
on.  "  Why,  you  could  have  knocked  me  down  with 
a  feather  when  he  came  in  the  house  with  you.  As 
soon  as  I  set  eyes  on  Mr  Charles " 

"  Mr.  what  "^  "  Fenwick  asked.  "  Oh,  I  see  what 
you  mean.  You  are  speaking  of  Mr.  Evors,  who 
jcame  in  wdtli  me." 

"  That's  it,  sir,  that's  it,"  the  old  man  said.  "  Mr. 
Evors,  only  we  used  to  call  him  Mr.  Charles." 

Fenwick  began  to  understand. 

"  Let's  have  it  out,"  he  said.  "  Mr.  Evors, 
whom  you  saw  with  me  just  now,  is  Lord  Merton's 
only  son  ^  " 

"That  he  be,  sir,  that  he  be.  And  to  think  that 
he  should  come  home  like  this.  It'll  be  a  good  day 
for  the  old  house  when  he  returns  to  settle  down 
altogether." 

Fenwick  dismissed  the  old  man  with  a  con- 
temptuous gesture.  He  had  found  out  all  he  wanted 
to  know,  though  his  information  had  come  to  him 
as  an  unpleasant  surprise.  It  was  a  strange  coin- 
cidence that  Fenwick  should  have  settled  upon  Mer- 
ton  Grange  for  a  dwelling-place,  and  thus  had 
picked  out  the  actual  home  of  the  young  man  who 
had  suffered  so  much  at  his  hands.  But  there  was 
something  beyond  this  that  troubled  Fenwick.  It 
was  a  disturbing  thought  to  know  that  Charles  Evors 
could  find  his  way  about  the  house  in  this  mysterious 
fashion.  It  was  a  still  more  disturbing  thought  to 
[  260  ] 


SMOKED   OUT 

feel  that  Evors  might  be  in  league  with  those  who 
were  engaged  in  tracking  down  the  so-called  million- 
aire. There  were  <  ertain  things  going  on  which 
it  was  imperative  to  keep  a  profound  secret.  Doubt- 
less there  were  secret  passages  and  panels  in  this 
ancient  house,  and  Fenwick  turned  cold  at  the 
thought  that  perhaps  prying  eyes  had  already  solved 
the  problem  of  the  little  room  at  the  end  of  the  corridor. 
He  lost  no  time  in  calling  his  parasites  about  him. 
In  a  few  words  he  told  them  what  had  happened. 

"  Don't  you  see  what  it  means "? "  he  said. 
"  Charles  Evors  is  here,  he  has  come  back  to  his  old 
home,  and  what  is  more  he  has  come  back  to  keep 
an  eye  on  us.  I  feel  pretty  certain  that  someone 
is  behind  him.  Very  likely  it  is  that  de^il  Zary. 
If  the  police  were  to  walk  in  now,  guided  by  Evors, 
we  should  be  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap.  I  didn't 
want  to  trust  that  stuff  to  Blossett,  but  he  must  get 
away  with  it  now  without  delay.  There  is  a  train 
about  twelve  o'clock  to  London,  and  he  must  get 
one  of  the  servants  to  drive  him  over  in  a  dosrcart. 
Now  don't  stand  gazing  at  me  with  your  mouths 
open  like  that,  for  goodness  knows  how  close  the 
danger  is.     Get  the  stuff  away  at  once." 

The  man  Blossett  came  into  the  garden,  a  big 
cigar  between  his  Hps.  He  laughed  in  his  insolent 
fashion  when  he  was  told  of  his  errand.  The  hot 
blood  was  in  Fenwick's  face,  but  he  had  not  time  to 
quarrel  with  the  swaggering  Blossett. 
[  261  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"I  thought  you  would  come  to  your  senses," 
the  latter  said.  "Nobody  like  me  to  do  a  little 
thing  of  that  sort.  Now  let  me  have  the  case  and 
I'll  be  off  without  delay.  Better  put  it  in  a  Glad- 
stone bag.  If  I  have  any  luck  I  shall  be  back  here 
to-night,  and  then  we  can  share  the  bank-notes  and 
there  will  be  an  end  of  the  matter.  You  had  better 
sink  all  the  materials  in  the  moat.  Not  that  I  am 
afraid  of  an^lhing  happening,  myself." 

Half  an  hour  later  Blossett  was  being  bowled  down 
the  drive  behind  a  fleet  horse.  A  little  later  still,  as 
the  train  pulled  out  of  the  station,  Egan  and  Grady 
stood  there  watching  it  with  rueful  faces.  Venner 
was  with  them,  and  smiled  to  himself,  despite  the 
unfortunate  nature  of  the  situation. 

"I  thought  we  had  cut  it  a  bit  too  fine,"  Grady 
said.  "  It  is  all  the  fault  of  that  confounded  watch 
of  mine.  Now  what's  the  best  tiling  to  be  done  ? 
Shall  we  telegraph  to  Scotland  Yard  and  ask  to  have 
Blossett  detained  when  he  reaches  Victoria  ?  " 

"I  don't  quite  like  the  idea,"  Egan  said.  "If 
we  were  English  detectives  it  wouldn't  much  matter, 
but  I  suess  I  don't  want  Scotland  Yard  to  have  the 
laugh  of  me  like  this.  It  may  cost  a  deal  of  money, 
and  I  shall  probably  have  to  pay  it  out  of  my  owa 
pocket,  but  I  am  going  to  have  a  special  train." 

"My  good  man,"  Venner  said,  "it  is  absurd  to 
think  that  you  can  get  a  special  train  at  a  roadside 
station  like  this.     Probably  they  do  things  different- 
[262] 


SMOKED   OUT 

ly  in  America,  but  if  you  suggest  a  special  to  the  sta- 
tion-master here,  he  will  take  you  for  an  amiable 
lunatic.  I  have  an  idea  that  may  work  out  all  right, 
though  it  all  depends  upon  whether  the  train  that 
has  gone  out  of  the  station  is  a  fast  or  a  slow  one." 

The  inquiry  proved  the  fact  that  the  train  was  a 
slow  one,  stopping  at  every  station.  It  would  be 
quite  two  hours  in  reaching  Victoria.  Yenner 
smiled  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  is  well  pleased 
w  ith  himself.     He  turned  eagerly  to  his  companions. 

"I  think  I've  got  it,"  he  said.  "We  will  wound 
Fenwick  with  one  of  his  own  weapons.  It  will  be 
the  easiest  tiling  in  the  world  to  get  from  here  to 
Victoria  well  under  two  hours  in  a  motor." 

"I  guess  that's  about  true,"  Grady  said,  drily. 
"But  what  applies  to  the  special  equally  applies  to 
the  motor.     Where  are  we  to  get  the  machine  from  .'' " 

"Borrow  Fenwick's,"  Venner  said.  "I  under- 
stand the  working  of  a  Mercedes,  and,  I  know  where 
the  car  is  kept.  If  I  go  about  this  tiling  boldly, 
our  success  is  assured.  Then  you  can  wait  for  me 
at  the  cross  roads  and  I  can  pick  you  up." 

"  Well,  you  can  try  it  on,  sir,"  Egan  said  doubt- 
fully. "If  you  fail  we  must  telegraph  to  Scotland 
Yard." 

But  Venner  had  not  the  slightest  intention  of  fail- 
ing. There  were  no  horses  in  the  stable  at  Merton 
Grange,  and  consequently  no  helpers  loafing  about 
the  yard.  There  stood  the  big  car,  and  on  a 
[  263  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

shelf  all  the  necessaries  for  setting  the  machine 
in  motion.  In  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time 
Venner  had  backed  the  Mercedes  into  the  yard; 
he  turned  her  dexterously,  and  a  moment  later  was 
speeding  down  a  side  avenue  which  led  to  the  Park. 
The  good  old  saying  that  fortune  favors  the  brave 
was  not  belied  in  this  instance,  for  Venner  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  high  road  without  mishap.  It  was 
very  long  odds  against  his  theft  being  discovered,  at 
any  rate,  for  some  considerable  time;  and  even  if 
the  car  were  missing,  no  one  could  possibly  identify 
its  loss  with  the  chase  after  Blossett.  It  was  con- 
sequently in  high  spirits  that  the  trio  set  out  on  their 
journey.  Naturally  enough  Venner  was  curious  to 
know  what  the  criminal  charge  would  be. 

"Though  I  have  found  out  a  good  deal,"  he  said, 
"  I  am  still  utterly  at  a  loss  to  know  what  these  fel- 
lows have  been  up  to.  Of  course,  I  quite  under- 
stand that  there  is  some  underhand  business  with 
regard  to  certain  coins — but  then  those  coins  are 
real  gold,  and  it  would  not  pay  anybody  to  counter- 
feit sovereigns  worth  twenty  shillings  apiece." 

"You  don't  think  so,"  Egan  said,  drily.  "We 
shall  be  able  to  prove  the  contrary  presently.  But 
liadn't  you  better  wait,  sir,  till  the  critical  moment 
comes  ?  " 

"Verj'  well,"  Venner  laughed  good-naturedly. 
"  I'll  wait  and  see  what  dramatic  surprise  you  have 
in  store  for  me." 

[264] 


SMOKED  OUT 

The  powerful  car  sped  over  the  roads  heedless 
of  police  traps  or  other  troubles  of  that  kind,  and 
some  time  before  the  appointed  hour  for  the  arrival 
of  Blossett's  train  in  London  they  had  reached 
Victoria.  It  was  an  easy  matter  to  store  the  car  in  a 
neighboring  hotel,  and  presently  they  had  the  satis- 
faction of  seeing  Blossett  swagger  from  a  first-clasg 
carriage  with  a  heavy  Gladstone  bag  in  his  hand. 
He  called  a  cab  and  was  rapidly  driven  off  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  city.  Egan  in  his  turn  called  another 
cab,  giving  the  driver  strict  injunctions  to  keep  the 
first  vehicle  in  sight.  It  was  a  long  chase,  but  it 
came  to  an  end  presently  outside  an  office  in  Wal- 
brook.  Blossett  paid  his  man  and  walked  slowly 
up  a  flight  of  steps,  carrying  his  bag.  He  paused  at 
length  before  a  door  which  was  marked  "  Private," 
and  also  placarded  the  information  that  here  was 
the  business  place  of  one  Drummond,  commission 
agent.  Scarcely  had  the  door  closed  on  Blossett 
than  Egan  followed  without  ceremony.  He  motion- 
ed the  other  two  to  remain  behind;  he  had  some 
glib  story  to  tell  the  solitary  clerk  in  the  outer  office, 
from  whom  he  gleaned  the  information  that  ^Ir. 
Drummond  was  engaged  on  some  particular  busi- 
ness and  could  not  see  him  for  some  time. 

"Very  well,"  he  said;  "I'll  wait  and  read  the 
paper." 

He  sat  there  patiently  for  some  five  minutes, 
his  quick  ears  strained  to  catch  the  faintest  sound  of 
[265] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

what  was  taking  place  in  the  inner  oflSce.  There 
came  presently  the  chink  of  metal,  whereupon  the 
watcher  whistled  gently  and  his  comrade  and  Ven- 
ner  entered  the  room.  Very  coolly  Egan  crossed 
over  and  locked  the  door. 

"  Now,  my  young  friend,"  he  said  to  the  astonished 
clerk,  "you  will  oblige  me  by  not  making  a  single 
sound.  I  don't  suppose  for  a  mioment  you  have 
had  anything  to  do  with  this;  in  fact,  from  your  be- 
wildered expression,  I  am  certain  that  you  haven't. 
Now  tell  me  how  long  have  you  been  in  your  present 
situation." 

"About  three  months,"  the  clerk  replied.  "If 
you  gentlemen  happen  to  be  police  officers " 

"That  is  exactly  what  we  are,"  Grady  smiled. 
"Do  you  find  business  brisk — plenty  of  clients 
about  ? " 

The  clerk  shook  his  head.  He  was  understood 
to  say  that  business  was  inclined  to  be  slack.  He  was 
so  frightened  and  uneasy  that  it  was  somewhat 
diflicult  to  discern  what  he  was  talking  about. 
From  time  to  time  there  came  sounds  of  tinkling 
metal  from  the  inner  office.  Then  Grady  crossed 
the  floor  and  opened  the  door.  He  stepped  inside 
nimbly,  there  was  a  sudden  cry,  and  then  the  voice 
of  the  detective  broke  out  harshly. 

"Now  drop  it,"  he  said.  "Keep  your  hands 
out  of  your  pocket — there  are  three  of  us  here  alto- 
gether, and  the  more  fuss  you  make  the  worse  it  will 
[266] 


SMOKED  OUT 

be  for  both  of  you.  You  know  perfectly  well  who  I 
am,  Blossett;  and  we  are  old  friends,  too,  Mr. 
Drummond,  though  I  don't  know  you  by  that  name. 
You  will  come  with  me " 

"  But  what's  the  charge  ? "  Blossett  blustered. 
"I  am  doing  business  with  my  friend  here  quite  in 
a  legitimate  way." 

"  Counterfeit  coining,"  Grady  said  crisply.  "  Oh, 
we  know  all  about  it,  so  you  need  not  try  to  bluff 
it  out  in  that  way.  I'll  call  a  cab,  and  we  can  drive 
off  comfortably  to  Bow  Street." 

All  tlie  swaggering  impudence  vanished  from 
Blossett.  As  for  his  companion,  he  had  not  said 
a  word  from  start  to  finish.  It  was  about  an  hour 
later  that  Venner  and  his  companions  were  seated 
at  lunch  at  a  hotel  in  Covent  Garden,  and  Venner 
was  impatiently  waiting  to  hear  what  was  the  charge 
which  had  laid  Blossett  and  his  companion  by  the 
heels.  Grady  smiled  as  he  drew  from  his  pocket 
what  appeared  to  be  a  brand  new  sovereign. 

"This  is  it,"  he  said.  "A  counterfeit.  You 
wouldn't  think  so  to  look  at  it,  would  you?  It 
appears  to  be  perfectly  genuine.  If  you  will  balance 
it  on  your  finger  you  will  find  that  it  is  perfect  weight, 
and  as  to  the  finish  it  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired. 
And  yet  that  coin  is  false,  though  it  contains  as  much 
gold  as  any  coin  that  you  have  in  your  purse." 

"Now  I  begin  to  understand,"  Venner  exclaimed. 
"I  have  already  told  you  all  about  my  discovery  at 
[  2G7  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

the  Empire  Hotel,  also  what  happened  quite  recently 
at  Merton  Grange.  I  could  not  for  the  life  of  me 
understand  what  those  fellows  had  to  gain  by  making 
sovereigns  red-hot.  Of  course,  I  took  them  to  be 
real  sovereigns " 

"Well,  so  they  are  practically,"  Egan  saido 
"  They  contain  absolutely  as  much  gold  as  an  English 
coin  of  equal  value.  They  are  made  from  the  metal 
Fenwick  managed  to  loot  from  the  Four  Finger 
Mine." 

"What,  do  you  know  all  about  that.''"  Venner 
cried. 

"We  know  all  about  everything,"  Grady  said 
gravely.  "We  have  been  tracking  Fenwick  for 
years,  and  it  is  a  terrible  indictment  we  shall  have 
to  lay  against  him  when  the  proper  time  comes. 
We  shall  prove  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that 
he  was  one  of  the  murderers  of  Mr.  George  Le  Fenu 
• — but  we  need  not  go  into  that  now,  for  I  see  you 
are  anxious  to  know  all  about  the  trick  of  the 
sovereigns.  After  Fenwick  was  compelled  to  aban- 
don the  Four  Finger  Mine,  he  found  himself  with 
a  great  deal  less  gold  than  he  had  expected.  Then 
he  hit  upon  the  ingenious  scheme  which  we  are  here 
to  expose.  His  plan  was  to  make  sovereigns  and 
half-sovereigns,  and  put  them  on  the  market  as 
genuine  coins.  Now  do  you  see  what  he  had  to  gain 
by  this  ingenious  programme?" 

[  268  ] 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

The  Mouth  of  the  Net 

"I  AM  afraid  I  am  very  dense,"  Venner  said,  "but 
I  quite  fail  to  see  how  a  man  could  make  a  fortune 
by  selling  for  a  sovereign  an  article  that  cost  him 
twenty  shillings,  to  say  nothing  of  the  trouble  and 

cost  of  labor  and  the  risk  of  being  discovered " 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  risk  is  comparatively 
small,"  Grady  said.  "  It  was  only  by  a  pure  accident 
that  v/e  got  on  the  inside  track  of  this  matter.  You 
see,  the  coins  are  of  actual  face  value,  they  are  most 
beautifully  made,  and,  indeed,  would  pass  anywhere. 
Let  me  tell  you  that  every  sovereign  contains  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  alloy  which  reduces  its  actual  value 
to  about  eighteen  and  threepence.  Now  you  can  see 
where  the  profit  comes  in.  Supposing  these  men 
turn  out  a  couple  of  thousand  sovereigns  a  day — no 
very  diflScult  matter  with  a  plant  like  theirs;  and, 
of  course,  the  money  can  be  disposed  of  with  the 
greatest  possible  ease.  This  leaves  a  profit  of  a 
hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds  a  day.  When  I 
have  said  so  much,  I  think  I  have  told  you  every- 
thing. Don't  you  admire  the  ingenuity  of  an  idea 
like  this  ? " 

[  269  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

It  was  all  perfectly  plain  now — indeed,  the  mystery 
appeared  to  be  ridiculously  simple  now  that  it  was 
explained. 

"And  what  are  you  going  to  do  now?"  Venner 
asked. 

Grady  explained  that  the  next  step  would  be  the 
arrest  of  Fenwick  and  his  gang  at  INIerton  Grange. 
For  that  purpose  it  would  be  necessary  to  enlist  the 
assistance  of  the  local  authorities.  And  in  no  case 
did  the  American  detectives  purpose  to  effect  the 
arrest  before  night.  So  far  as  Venner  was  con- 
cerned, he  was  quite  at  liberty  to  accompany  the 
Americans  on  their  errand;  at  the  same  time  they 
let  him  infer  that  here  was  a  situation  in  which  they 
preferred  his  room  to  his  company, 

"As  you  will,"  Venner  smiled.  "So  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  I  am  going  to  get  back  to  Canterbury 
as  soon  as  I  can.  With  all  your  preparations  you 
have  an  exceedingly  clever  man  to  deal  with,  and  it 
is  just  possible  that  by  this  time  Fenwick  already 
knows  that  you  have  laid  the  messenger  by  the 
heels.  Men  of  that  sort  never  trust  one  another, 
and  it  is  exceedingly  probable  that  Blossett  has  been 
watched." 

Grady  and  Egan  admitted  this  possibility  cheer- 
fully enough.  Doubtless  they  had  made  plans  which 
they  did  not  care  to  communicate  to  Venner.  He 
left  them  presently,  only  to  discover  to  his  annoyance 
that  he  had  just  missed  a  train  to  Canterbury,  and 
[270] 


THE  MOUTH  OF  THE   NET 

that  there  was  not  another  one  till  nearly  six  o'clock. 
It  was  quite  dark  when  he  stepped  out  of  the 
carriage  at  Canterbury  Station  and  stood  debating 
whether  he  should  walk  as  far  as  the  lodgings  he  had 
taken  near  Merton  Grange,  or  call  a  cab.  As  he 
was  idly  niaking  up  his  mind,  he  saw  to  his  surprise 
the  figure  of  the  handsome  cripple  descending  from 
the  next  carriage.  He  noted,  too,  that  the  cripple 
did  not  seem  anything  like  as  feeble  as  before, 
though  he  appeared  to  be  glad  enough  to  lean  on  the 
arm  of  a  servant.  At  the  same  moment  Le  Fenu 
was  joined  by  Evors,  who  came  eagerly  forward 
and  shook  him  warmly  by  the  hand.  ^\Tiat  these 
two  were  doing  here,  and  what  they  had  in  their 
minds,  it  was  not  for  Venner  to  say.  He  wondered 
what  they  would  think  if  they  knew  how  close  he  was, 
and  how  deeply  interested  he  was  in  their  move- 
ments. He  hung  back  in  the  shadow,  for  just  then 
he  did  not  want  to  be  recognised  by  Le  Fenu. 

"  What  a  queer  tangle  it  all  is,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"If  I  spoke  to  Le  Fenu,  he  would  recognise  me  in 
a  moment  as  an  old  friend  of  his  father's.  I  wonder 
what  he  would  say  to  me  if  he  knew  I  was  his  brother- 
in-law — and  Evors,  too.  Imagine  their  astonish- 
ment if  I  walked  up  to  them  at  this  moment.  Still, 
on  the  whole,  I  think  I  prefer  to  watch  their  move- 
ments. If  they  are  going  to  thrust  their  heads  into 
the  lion's  mouth,  perhaps  I  may  be  able  to  stand 
by  and  render  some  assistance." 
[271] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

It  was  as  Venner  had  anticipated,  for  presently  Le 
Fenu  and  Evors  entered  a  cab  and  gave  the  driver 
directions  to  take  them  as  far  as  Merton  Grange. 
Venner  made  up  his  mind  that  he  could  do  no  better 
than  follow  their  example. 

The  cab  stopped  at  length  outside  the  lodge  gates, 
■where  Evors  and  Le  Fenu  alighted,  and  walked 
slowly  up  the  drive.  It  was  rather  a  painful  effort 
for  Le  Fenu,  but  he  managed  it  a  great  deal  better 
than  Venner  had  anticipated.  They  did  not  enter 
the  house  by  the  front  door — on  the  contrary,  they 
crept  round  a  small  side  entrance,  beyond  which 
they  vanished,  leaving  Venner  standing  on  the  grass 
wondering  what  he  had  better  do  next. 

Meanwhile,  Evors  led  the  way  down  a  flight  of 
stairs  till  he  emerged  presently  in  a  corridor.  With 
his  companion  on  his  arm  he  walked  to  the  little 
room  at  the  end  and  boldly  flung  open  the  door. 

The  room  was  empty,  a  thing  which  both  of  them 
seemed  to  expect,  for  they  smiled  at  one  another  in 
a  significant  manner,  and  nodded  with  the  air  of 
men  who  are  quite  pleased  with  themselves. 

"You  had  better  sit  down,"  Evors  said.  "That 
walk  must  have  tired  you  terribly.  I  should  be 
exceedingly  sorry " 

"You  need  not  worry  about  me,"  Le  Fenu  said  in 

a  clear,  hard  voice.     "I  am  a  little  tired,  perhaps, 

but  I  have  a  duty  to  fulfil,  and  the  knowledge  of  it 

has    braced    me   wonderfully.     Besides,    I    am    so 

[272] 


THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  NET 

much  better  of  late,  and  I  am  looking  eagerly  for- 
ward to  the  time  when  I  shall  be  as  other  men. 
Now  go  and  fetch  him,  and  let  us  get  the  thing  done. 
But  for  the  fact  that  he  is  my  mother's  brother  I 
would  have  had  no  mercy  on  the  scoundrel.  Still, 
the  same  blood  flows  in  our  veins,  and  I  am  in  a 
merciful   mood   to-night." 

Evors  walked  boldly  out  of  the  room  and  down 
the  stairs  into  the  hall — then  in  a  loud  voice  he 
called  out  the  name  of  Mark  Fenwick.  The  din- 
ing-room door  burst  open  and  Fenwick  strode  out, 
his  yellow  face  blazing  with  passion  in  the  Ught. 

"  So  you  are  back  again,"  he  said  hoarsely.  "  You 
are  a  bold  man  to  thrust  your  head  into  the  hon's 
mouth  Uke  this." 

"There  are  others  equally  bold,"  Evors  said, 
coolly.  "I  am  strong  enough  and  able  enough  to 
take  you  by  that  fat  throat  of  yours  and  choke  the 
life  out  of  you.  You  have  a  different  man  to  deal 
with  now — but  there  are  others  to  be  considered,  so  I 
will  trouble  you  to  come  along  with  me.  The  in- 
terview had  best  take  place  in  the  Uttle  room  at  the 
end  of  the  corridor.  You  know  the  room  I  mean. 
Ah,  I  see  you  do." 

Fenwick  started.  It  was  quite  plain  that  Evors' 
hint  was  not  lost  on  him.  Without  another  word  he 
led  the  way  up  the  staircase  into  the  httle  room.  He 
started  again  and  half  turned  when  he  caught  sight 
of  the  white,  handsome  face  of  Le  Fenu.  In  all 
18  [  273  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

probability  he  would  have  disappeared  altogether, 
but  for  the  fact  that  Evors  closed  the  door  and  turned 
the  key. 

Fenwick  stood  there,  his  yellow  face  scared  and 
terrified.  Cold  as  it  was,  a  bead  of  perspiration 
stood  on  his  bulging  forehead.  He  looked  from  one 
to  the  other  as  if  he  anticipated  violence.  Le  Fenu 
sat  up  in  his  chair  and  laughed  aloud. 

"You  are  but  a  sorry  coward  after  all,"  he  said. 
*'  You  have  no  need  to  fear  us  in  the  shghtest.  We 
shall  leave  the  vengeance  to  come  in  the  hands  of 
others.  And  now  sit  down — though  you  are  not 
fit  to  take  a  chair  in  the  company  of  any  honest 
men." 

"In  my  own  house,"  Fenwick  began  feebly, 
"you  are " 

"We  will  overlook  that,"  Le  Fenu  went  on. 
"  It  is  our  turn  now,  and  I  don't  think  you  will  find 
our  conditions  too  harsh.  It  is  not  so  long  ago  since 
my  friend  here  was  a  prisoner  in  your  hands,  and  since 
you  reduced  him  to  such  a  condition  of  mind  that  he 
had  abandoned  hope  and  lost  all  desire  to  live. 
It  is  not  so  long  ago,  either,  since  you  dared  to  make 
me  a  prisoner  in  my  own  house  for  your  own  ends. 
It  was  fortunate  for  you  that  I  chose  to  live  more 
or  less  alone  in  London  and  under  an  assumed  name. 
But  all  the  time  I  was  looking  for  you,  all  the  time 
I  was  working  out  my  plans  for  your  destruction. 
Then  you  found  me  out — you  began  to  see  how  I 
[2741 


THE  MOUTH   OF  THE  NET 

could  be  useful  to  you,  how  I  could  become  your 
miserable  tool,  as  Mr.  Evors  here  did.  You  dafed 
not  stay  at  your  hotel — things  were  not  quite  ripe 
for  you  to  come  down  here.  Therefore  you  hit  upon 
the  ingenious  idea  of  making  me  a  prisoner  under 
my  own  roof.  But  Fate,  which  has  been  waiting 
for  you  a  long  time,  intervened,  and  I  became  a 
free  man  again  just  at  the  very  moment  w^hen  Mr. 
Evors  also  regained  his  liberty.  Since  then  we  have 
met  more  than  once,  and  the  whole  tale  of  your  vil- 
lainy is  now  plain  before  me.  You  might  have 
been  content  with  the  murder  of  my  father  and 
the  blood  money  you  extracted  from  the  Four  Finger 
Mine,  but  that  was  not  enough  for  you — nothing  less 
than  the  extermination  of  our  race  sufficed.  It  was 
no  fault  of  yours  that  I  was  not  killed  in  the  so- 
called  accident  that  has  made  me  the  cripple  that  I 
am.  That  was  all  arranged  by  you,  as  I  shall  be 
able  to  prove  when  the  proper  time  comes.  I 
escaped  death  by  a  miracle,  and  good  friends  of 
mine  hid  me  away  beyond  the  reach  of  your  arm. 
Even  then  you  had  no  sort  of  mercy,  even  then  you 
■were  not  content  with  the  mischief  you  had  \\Tought. 
You  must  do  your  best  to  pin  your  crime  to  Mr. 
Evors,  though  that  conspiracy  cost  my  sister  Beth 
her  reason.  Of  course,  you  vould  deny  all  these 
things,  and  I  see  you  are  prepared  to  deny  them  now. 
But  it  is  absolutely  useless  to  add  one  lie  to  another, 

because  we  know  full  well " 

[275] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"Stop,"  Fenwick  cried.  "What  are  you  here 
for?  Why  do  you  tell  me  this?  A  desperate  man 
like  myself " 

"No  threats,"  Le  Fenu  said,  sternly.  "I  am 
simply  here  to  warn  you.  God  knows  what  an 
effort  it  is  on  my  part  not  to  hand  you  over  to  your 
punishment,  but  I  cannot  forget  that  you  are  a 
blood  relation  of  mine — and,  therefore,  I  am  dis- 
posed to  spare  you.  Still,  there  is  another  Nemesis 
awaiting  you,  which  Nemesis  I  need  not  mention 
by  name.  When  I  look  at  your  left  hand  I  feel  sorry 
for  you.  Bad  as  you  are,  the  terrible  fate  which  is 
yours  moves  me  to  a  kind  of  pity." 

Le  Fenu  paused  and  glanced  significantly  at 
Fenwick's  maimed  hand.  The  latter  had  nothing 
more  to  say;  all  his  swaggering  assurance  had  left 
him — ^he  sat  huddled  up  in  his  chair,  a  picture  of 
abject  terror  and  misery. 

"  You  can  help  me  if  you  will,"  he  said  hoarsely. 
"You  are  speaking  of  Zary.  That  man  is  no 
human  being  at  all,  he  is  no  more  than  a  cold- 
blooded tiger,  and  yet  he  would  do  anything  for  you 
and  yours.     If  you  asked  him  to  spare  me " 

Fenwick  broke  off  and  covered  liis  face  with  his 
hands.  His  shoulders  were  heaving  with  convulsive 
sobs  now,  tears  of  self-pity  ran  through  his  fingers. 
For  the  time  being,  at  any  rate,  the  man's  nerve 
was  utterly  gone.  He  was  prepared  to  make  any 
conditions  to  save  his  skin.  Agitated  and  brokea 
[  276  ] 


THE  iSIOUTII   OF  THE  NET 

as  he  was,  his  cunning  mind  was  yet  moving  swiftly. 
A  little  time  ago,  these  two  men  would  not  have 
dared  to  intrude  themselves  upon  his  presence,  he 
had  held  them  Uke  prisoners  in  the  hollow  of  his 
hand;  and  now  it  seemed  to  him  that  they  must  feel 
their  position  to  be  impregnable,  or  they  would 
never  have  intruded  upon  him  in  this  bold  fashion, 

"I  am  not  the  man  I  was,"  he  gasped.  "It  is 
only  lately  that  my  nerve  seems  to  have  utterly 
deserted  me.  You  do  not  know  what  it  is  to  be 
fighting  in  the  dark  against  a  foe  so  cold  and  relent- 
less as  Felix  Zary.  When  the  first  warning  came  I 
was  alarmed.  The  second  warning  frightened 
me  till  I  woke  in  the  night  with  a  suffocating  feeling 
at  my  heart  as  if  I  were  going  to  die.  Against  the 
third  warning  I  took  the  most  elaborate  precautions; 
but  it  came  all  the  same,  and  since  then  I  have  been 
drinking  to  drown  my  terror.  But  what  is  the  good 
of  that.-* — how  little  does  it  serve  me  in  my  sober 
moments  ?  As  I  said  just  now,  Zary  would  do  any- 
thing for  your  family,  and  if  you  would  induce  him 
to  forego  that  dreaded  vengeance  which  hangs  over 
me 

"Impossible,"  Le  Fenu  said  coldly.  "Zary 
is  a  fanatic,  a  dreamer  of  dreams ;  he  has  a  religion 
of  his  own  which  no  one  else  in  the  world  under- 
stands but  himself.  He  firmly  and  honestly  believes 
that  some  divine  power  is  impeUing  him  on,  that  he 
is  merely  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  the  Maker 
[277] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

of  the  universe.  There  have  been  other  beings  of 
the  same  class  in  a  way.  Charlotte  Corday  believed 
herself  to  be  the  chosen  champion  of  Heaven  when 
she  stabbed  the  French  monster  in  his  bath.  Noth- 
ing I  could  say  or  do  would  turn  Zary  from  what 
he  believes  to  be  his  duty.  The  only  thing  you  can 
do  is  to  go  away  and  lose  yourself  in  some  foreign 
country  where  Zary  cannot  follow  you." 

"Impossible,"  Fen  wick  said  hoarsely.  "I  could 
not  get  away.  If  the  man  possesses  the  powers  he 
claims  he  would  know  where  to  find  me,  even  if  I 
hid  myself  in  the  depths  of  a  Brazilian  forest.  I 
tell  you  I  am  doomed.  I  cannot  get  away  from  the 
inevitable." 

Fenwick  slipped  from  his  chair  and  fairly  grovelled 
in  his  anguish  on  the  floor.  It  was  a  pitiable  sight, 
but  one  that  moved  the  watchers  with  contempt. 
They  waited  patiently  enough  for  the  paroxysm 
of  terror  to  pass  and  for  Fenwick  to  resume  some- 
thing like  the  outer  semblance  of  manhood.  He 
drew  himself  up  at  length,  and  wiped  the  tears  from 
his  sickly  yellow  face. 

"I  cannot  think,"  he  said.  "My  mind  seems  to 
have  ceased  to  act.  If  either  of  you  have  any  plan 
I  shall  be  grateful  to  hear  it.  It  seems  almost 
impossible " 

The  speaker  suddenly  paused,  for  there  came  from 
below  the  unmistakable  sounds  of  high  voices  raised 
in   expostulation.     It   occurred  to   Fenwick  for   a 
[278] 


THE  MOUTH   OF  THE  NET 

moment  that  his  subordinates  were  quarrelhng 
among  themselves;  then  his  quick  ears  discerned 
the  sound  of  strange  voices.  He  rose  to  his  feet  and 
made  in  the  direction  of  the  door.  A  minute  later 
a  stealthy  tap  was  heard  on  the  door,  and  a  voice 
whispered,  asking  to  be  admitted.  Evors  glanced 
at  Le  Fenu  in  an  interrogative  kind  of  way,  as  if 
asking  for  instructions.  The  latter  nodded,  and  the 
door  opened.  The  man  in  the  list  slippers  staggered 
into  the  room,  his  red  face  white  and  quivering,  his 
whole  aspect  eloquent  of  fear. 

"What  is  it?"  Fen\\'ick  whispered.  "What's 
the  trouble.''  Why  don't  you  speak  out,  man,  in- 
stead of  standing  there  hke  that  ? " 

The  man  found  his  voice  at  last,  his  words  came 
thickly. 

"They  are  here,"  he  said.  "The  men  from 
America.  You  know  who  I  mean.  Get  away  at 
once.  Wait  for  nothing.  Those  two  devils  Egan 
and  Grady  are  downstairs  in  the  hall." 


[279] 


CHAPTER    XXV 

An  Act  of  Charity 

Fenwick  looked  at  the  speaker  as  if  he  did  not 
exactly  comprehend  what  he  had  said.  The  man's 
mind  was  apparently  dazed,  as  if  the  accumulation 
of  his  troubles  had  been  too  much  for  him.  He 
passed  his  hand  across  his  forehead,  striving  to 
collect  his  thoughts  and  to  find  some  way  of  facing 
this  new  and  unexpected  peril. 

"Say  that  again,"  he  faltered.  "I  don't  quite 
understand.  Surely  Egan  and  Grady  are  in  New 
York." 

"They  are  both  down  in  the  hall,"  the  man  said, 
vehemently.  "And,  what's  more,  they  know  that 
you  are  here.  If  you  don't  want  to  spend  the  night 
in  gaol,  get  away  ^nthout  any  further  delay." 

Fenwick  coul'  jnly  look  about  him  helplessly. 
It  seemed  to  iv.i  futile  to  make  further  efiFort, 
Turn  which  s\ay  he  would,  there  was  no  avenue 
open  to  him.  He  looked  imploringly  in  the  direction 
of  Charles  Evors. 

"  I  think  I  can  manage  it,"  the  latter  said.  "  Now, 
you  fellow,  whatever  your  name  is,  leave  the  room 
[280] 


AN   ACT  OF  CHARITY 

ai  once  and  go  downstairs  and  close  the  door  be- 
hind you." 

The  man  slunk  away,  and,  at  a  sign  from  Le  Fenu, 
Evors  closed  the  door.  Evors  jumped  to  liis  feet 
and  crossed  the  room  to  where  a  picture  was  let  into 
the  panelling.  He  pushed  this  aside  and  disclosed 
a  dark  opening  beyond  to  Fenwick's  astonished 
gaze.     The  latter  stared  about  liim. 

"Now  get  through  there,"  Evors  said.  "It  is 
a  good  thing  for  you  that  I  know  all  the  secrets 
of  the  old  house.  There  are  many  panels  and 
passages  here,  for  this  used  to  be  a  favorite  hiding- 
place  for  the  fugitive  cavaliers  in  the  time  of  Crom- 
well." 

"  But  where  does  it  go  to  ? "  Fenwick  stammered. 

Evors  explained  that  the  passage  terminated  in  a 
bedroom  a  little  distance  away.  He  went  on  to 
say  that  Fenwick  would  only  have  to  press  his  hand 
upon  the  wall  and  that  the  corresponding  panel  of 
the  bedroom  would  yield  to  his  touch. 

"It  is  the  Blue  Room,"  he  said,  "in  which  you 
will  find  yourself  presently.  Wait  there  and  I'll 
see  what  I  can  do  for  you.  I  fancy  that  I  shall  be 
able  to  convey  you  outside  the  walls  of  the  house 
without  anybody  being  the  wiser." 

Fenwick  crept  through  the  hole,  and  Evors  pulled 

the  panel  across,  leaving  the  room  exactly  as  it  had 

been  a  few  minutes  before.     He  had  hardly  done  so 

when  there  was  a  sound  of  footsteps  outside,  and 

[281] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

without  ceremony  the  American  detectives  came  in. 
The  occupants  of  the  room  had  had  ample  time  to 
recover  their  self-possession,  so  that  they  could  look 
coolly  at  the  intruders  and  demand  to  know  what 
this  outrage  meant.  The  Americans  were  clearly 
puzzled. 

"  I  am  sure  I  beg  your  pardon,"  Egan  said,  "  but 
I  understand  that  Mr.  Fenwick  is  the  tenant  of  the 
house." 

"That  is  so,"  Evors  said.  "Do  you  generally 
come  into  a  gentleman's  house  in  this  unceremonious 
fashion  .^ " 

"  Perhaps  I  had  better  explain  my  errand,"  Egan 
said.  "We  are  down  here  with  a  warrant  for  the 
apprehension  of  Mark  Fenwick,  and  we  know  that 
a  little  time  ago  he  was  in  the  house.  He  is  wanted 
on  a  charge  of  stealing  certain  valuables  in  New 
York,  and  also  for  manufacturing  counterfeit  coins. 
"VVe  quite  expected  to  find  liim  here." 

"  In  that  case,  of  course,  you  have  perfect  liberty 
to  do  as  you  please,"  Evors  said.  "I  may  explain 
that  I  am  the  only  son  of  Lord  Merton,  and  that  I 
shall  be  pleased  to  do  anything  to  help  you  that  lies 
in  my  power.     By  all  means  search  the  house." 

Grady  appeared  as  if  about  to  say  something, 
but  Egan  checked  him.  It  was  no  time  for  the 
Americans  to  disclose  the  fact  that  they  knew  all 
about  the  murder  of  Mr.  George  Le  Fenu,  and  how 
Evors  had  been  more  or  less  dragged  into  the  busi- 
[2S2] 


AN  ACT  OF  CHARITY 

ness.  Their  main  object  now  was  to  get  hold  of 
Fenwick  without  delay,  and  take  him  back  with 
them  to  London. 

"Very  well,  sir,"  Egan  said.  "We  need  not 
trouble  you  any  further.  If  our  man  is  anywhere 
about  the  house,  we  are  bound  to  find  him.  Come 
along,  Grady." 

They  bustled  out  of  the  room,  and  presently  they 
could  be  heard  ranging  about  the  house.  As  the 
two  friends  discussed  the  situation  in  whispers  the 
door  was  flung  open  and  Vera  came  in.  Her  face 
was  aflame  with  indignation — she  was  quivering 
with  a  strange  unaccustomed  passion. 

"  Charles,"  she  cried.  "  I  hardly  expected  to  see 
you  here." 

"Perhaps  you  are  equally  surprised  to  see  Evors," 
Le  Fenu  said.     "  We  have  had  an  explanation " 

"I  have  already  met  Charles,"  Vera  said.  "But 
he  did  not  tell  me  you  were  coming  down  here. 
Still,  all  that  is  beside  the  point.  There  will  be 
plenty  of  time  for  full  explanation  later  on.  \Miat 
I  have  to  complain  of  now  is  an  intolerable  outrage 
on  the  part  of  Mark  Fenwick.  He  has  actually 
dared  to  intrude  himself  on  the  privacy  of  my  bed- 
room, and  despite  all  I  can  say " 

"By  Jove,  this  is  a  piece  of  bad  luck,"  Evors 

exclaimed.     "  My  dear  Vera,  I  had  not  the  slightest 

idea    that   you    were    occupying    the    Blue    Room. 

In  fact,  I  did  not  know  that  it  was  being  used  at  all. 

L2S3] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

I  managed  to  send  Fenwick  that  way  for  the  simple 
reason  that  there  are  two  American  detectives  down- 
stairs wdth  a  warrant  for  his  arrest.  It  was  your 
brother's  idea  to  get  him  away " 

"What  for?"  Vera  asked,  passionately. 

"Why  should  we  trouble  ourselves  for  the  safety 
of  an  abandoned  wretch  like  that  ?  He  is  the 
cause  of  all  our  troubles  and  sorrows.  For  the 
last  three  years  he  has  blighted  the  lives  of  all  of  us, 
and  there  is  worse  than  that — for,  as  sure  as  I  am 
speaking  to  you  now,  the  blood  of  our  dear  father 
is  upon  his  head." 

"Yes,  and  mine  might  have  been  also,  but  for 
a  mere  miracle,"  Le  Fenu  said.  "He  tried  to  do 
away  with  me — he  would  have  done  away  with  all 
of  us  if  he  had  only  dared.  But  one  thing  do  not 
forget — he  is  our  mother's  only  brother." 

Vera  started  and  bit  her  lips.  It  was  easy  to  see 
that  the  appeal  was  not  lost  upon  her,  and  that  she 
was  ready  now  to  fall  in  with  her  brother's  idea. 
She  waited  quite  humbly  for  him  to  speak. 

"  I  am  glad  you  understand,"  he  said.  "  It  would 
never  do  for  us  to  hand  that  man  over  to  justice, 
richly  as  he  deserves  his  sentence.  And  you  can 
help  us  if  you  will.  Those  men  will  search  every 
room  in  the  house,  including  yours.  If  you  are  in 
there  when  they  come  and  show  a  certain  amount 
of  indignation " 

"Oh,  I  quite  understand,"  Vera  responded. 
[284] 


AN  ACT  OF  CHARITY 

*'And  I  will  do  what  I  can  for  that  wretched  crea- 
ture." 

"What  is  he  doing  now?"  Le  Fenu  asked. 

"He  has  huddled  himself  up  in  a  wardrobe," 
Vera  explained.  "  He  seems  so  paralysed  with  fear 
that  I  could  not  get  anything  hke  a  coherent  account 
of  what  had  happened.  Anj^way,  I  will  go  back 
to  my  room  now.     You  need  not  be  afraid  for  me." 

As  matters  turned  out,  Vera  had  no  time  to  spare, 
for  she  was  hardly  back  in  her  room  before  the  de- 
tectives were  at  the  door.  She  came  out  to  them, 
coldly  indignant,  and  demanded  to  know  what  this 
conduct  meant.  As  was  only  natural,  the  Americans 
were  profoundly  regretful  and  almost  abjectly  poUte, 
but  they  had  their  duty  to  perform,  and  they  would 
be  glad  to  know  if  Vera  had  seen  anything  of  ]Mark 
Fenwick,  for  whose  apprehension  they  held  a  war- 
rant. 

"Well,"  Vera  said,  loftily,  "you  don't  expect  to 
find  him  in  here,  I  suppose .'  Of  course,  if  your  duty 
carries  you  so  far  as  to  ransack  a  lady's  room,  I 
will  not  prevent  you." 

The  absolute  iciness  of  the  whole  thing  profound- 
ly impressed  the  listeners.  Astute  as  they  were, 
it  never  occurred  to  them  that  the  girl  was  acting  a 
part;  furthermore,  with  their  intimate  knowledge 
of  Fenwick's  past,  they  knew  well  enough  that  Vera 
had  no  cause  to  shield  the  man  of  whom  they  were 
in  search. 

[285] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"We  will  not  trouble  you,"  Egan  stammered. 
"It  is  a  mere  matter  of  form,  and  it  would  be  ab- 
surd to  suppose  that  our  man  is  concealed  in  your 
room.  In  all  probability  he  received  news  of  our 
coming  and  got  away  without  warning  his  com- 
panions. It  is  just  the  sort  of  thing  that  a  nan  of  his 
type  would  do.  We  have  the  rest  of  the  gang  all 
safe,  but  we  shall  certainly  have  to  look  elsewhere 
for  their  chief.   Will  you  please  accept  our  apologies  }  " 

Vera  waved  the  men  aside  haughtily.  She  was 
glad  to  turn  her  back  upon  them,  so  that  they  could 
not  see  the  expression  of  her  face.  She  was  tremb- 
ling violently  now,  for  her  courage  had  suddenly 
deserted  her.  For  some  long  time  she  stood  there 
in  the  corridor,  until,  presently,  she  heard  the  noise 
of  wheels  as  two  vehicles  drove  away.  Then,  with 
a  great  sigh  of  relief,  she  recognised  the  fact  that  the 
detectives  had  left  the  house.  She  opened  the  door 
of  her  room  and  called  aloud  to  Fenwick.  She  called 
again  and  again  without  response. 

"You  can  come  out,"  she  said,  contemptuously. 
"  There  is  no  cause  to  fear,  for  those  men  have  gone." 

A  moment  later  the  yellow,  fear-distorted  face  of 
Mark  Fenwick  peeped  out  into  the  corridor.  He 
came  shambling  along  on  tottering  limbs,  and  his 
coarse  mouth  twitched  horribly.  It  seemed  to  Vera 
as  if  she  were  looking  at  a  mere  travesty  of  the  man 
who  so  short  a  time  ago  had  been  so  strong  and 
masterful  and  courageous. 

[286] 


AN  ACT  OF  CHARITY 

"They  gave  me  a  rare  fright,"  Fenwick  said  ia 
a  senile  way.  He  seemed  to  have  aged  twenty  years 
in  the  last  few  minutes.  "That — that — was  very 
cool  and  courageous  of  you,  my  dear.  I  couldn't 
have  done  any  better  myself.  You  dear,  kind  girl. 
He  advanced  now  and  would  have  taken  Vera's 
hands  in  his,  but  she  turned  from  him  with  loathing. 
She  was  wondering  which  she  disliked  most — the 
cold,  cruel,  determined  criminal,  or  this  miser- 
able wreck  of  a  man  glad  to  lean  on  anyone  for 
support. 

"Don't  touch  me,"  she  said,  with  a  shudder. 
"Don't  thank  me  for  anything  for  I  should  have 
handed  you  over  to  those  men  gladly.  I  was  ready 
and  willing  to  do  so,  only  my  brother  recalled  to  me 
the  fact  that  the  same  blood  runs  in  the  veins  of 
both  of  us.  It  was  the  remembrance  of  this  that 
made  me  he  just  now,  that  caused  me  to  run  the 
risk  of  a  criminal  charge  myself.  For  I  understand 
that  anybody  who  harbors  a  thief  for  whose  arrest 
a  warrant  has  been  issued,  runs  the  risk  of  going  to 
gaol.  And  to  think  that  Le  Fenu  should  do  a  thing 
of  that  kind  for  such  a  creature  as  yourself — it  is 
too  amazing." 

"I  suppose  it  is,  my  dear,"  Fenwick  said  in  the 
same  carneying  voice.  "I  never  expected  to  find 
myself  shielded  behind  a  woman.  But  I  have  lost 
all  my  nerve  lately,  and  the  more  I  drink  to  drown 
my  troubles,  the  worse  I  get.  But  you  must  not 
[287] 


THE  IVIYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

think  too  badly  of  me,  for  I  am  not  so  black  as  I 
am  painted." 

"Could  you  be  any  blacker?"  Vera  asked. 
"  Could  any  human  being  have  descended  lower  than 
you  have  descended  ?  I  think  not.  You  imagine 
because  I  threw  in  my  lot  with  you  three  years  ago 
that  I  knew  nothing  of  your  crimes.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  I  knew  everything.  I  knew  how  you  had 
shifted  the  responsibility  of  that  dastardly  murder 
on  to  the  shoulders  of  the  man  who  is  in  love  with 
my  sister  Beth.  It  was  for  her  sake  that  I  pretended 
ignorance,  for  her  sake  that  I  came  with  you  to  try 
to  get  to  the  bottom  of  your  designs.  What  I  have 
endured  in  the  time  nobody  but  myself  can  know. 
But  it  has  all  come  out  now,  and  here  am  I  to-day 
trying  to  shield  you  from  the  very  vengeance  that  I 
have  been  plotting  for  you  all  this  time.  Oh,  don't 
say  anything,  don't  deny  it,  don't  add  more  useless 
lies  to  the  catalogue  of  your  vices.  Go  now.  Let 
us  see  the  last  of  you,  and  never  intrude  upon  us 
again." 

All  this  outburst  of  indignation  had  apparently 
been  wasted  on  Fenwick  for  he  did  not  appear  to  be 
listening  at  all.  He  had  enough  troubles  of  his  own, 
and,  despite  the  fact  that  his  nerve  had  failed  him, 
it  was  no  feeling  of  remorse  that  left  him  stricken  and 
trembling  and  broken  down  before  Vera's  scornful 
eyes.  He  could  only  whine  and  protest  that  he  was 
absolutely  helpless. 

[288] 


AN  ACT  OF   CHARITY 

"  But  what  can  I  do  ?  "  he  murmured,  with  tears 
in  his  eyes.  "  I  am  not  so  young  as  I  was,  indeed  I 
am  much  older  than  people  take  me  for.  I  have  no 
money  and  no  friends,  there  is  not  a  place  I  can  go 
to.  Don't  turn  me  out — let  me  stay  here,  where  I 
shall  be  safe." 

"  It  is  impossible,"  Vera  said,  coldly.  "  We  have 
done  enough,  and  more  than  ei.ough  for  you.  Now 
come  this  way,  and  I  will  hand  you  over  to  my 
brother  and  IMr.  Evors.  They  are  cleverer  than  I 
am,  and  may  be  able  to  devise  some  means  for  getting 
you  out  of  the  country.     Why  don't  you  come  ?  " 

"I  can't,"  Fenwick  almost  sobbed.  "There  is 
something  in  my  limbs  that  renders  them  powerless. 
If  you  will  give  me  your  arm,  I  daresay  I  shall  be 
able  to  get  as  far  as  the  little  room." 

The  touch  of  the  man  was  pollution,  yet  Vera 
bravely  endured  it.  She  could  hear  the  excited 
servants  talking  in  whispers  downstairs,  and  one  of 
them  might  appear  at  any  moment.  It  would  be 
far  better  for  the  domestic  staff  to  assume  that  the 
culprit  had  vanished,  otherwise  their  gossip  would 
assuredly  bring  the  detectives  back  again  without 
delay.  Vera  was  glad  enough  when  her  task  was 
finished  and  the  trembling  form  of  Mark  Fenwick 
was  lowered  into  a  seat.  The  cunning  look  was  still 
in  his  eyes;  the  born  criminal  would  never  get  rid 
of  that  expression,  though  for  the  rest  he  was  an 
object  now  more  for  pity  than  fear. 
19  [ 289  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"  It  is  very  good  of  you,"  he  said.  *'  It  is  far  better 
than  I  deserve.     You  will  say  I  can't  stay  here " 

"That  is  absolutely  certain,"  Le  Fenu  said, 
coldly.  "Most  assuredly  you  can't  remain  here. 
You  may  remain  for  the  night,  and  Mr.  Evors  and 
myself  will  try  and  think  of  a  plan  between  us." 

"And  Zary,"  Fenwick  whispered.  The  mention 
of  that  dreaded  name  set  him  trembling  again. 
"  Keep  me  away  from  Zary.  I  am  afraid  of  a  good 
many  things,  but  the  mere  mention  of  that  man's 
name  stops  my  heart  beating  and  suffocates  me." 

"  You  had  better  go  away,"  Le  Fenu  said  to  Vera, 
*'and  leave  the  wretched  creature  to  us.  There 
will  be  no  trouble  in  hiding  him  here  for  a  bit. 
There  are  two  rooms  here  that  nobody  knows  any- 
thing about  except  Evors  and  liis  father." 

Vera  was  only  too  glad  to  get  away  into  the  open 
air,  glad  to  feel  that  at  last  tliis  nerve-destroying 
mystery  was  coming  to  an  end.  She  wanted  to  see 
Venner,  too,  and  tell  him  all  that  had  happened.  In 
all  probability  he  was  waiting  at  the  accustomed  spot. 
With  a  light  heart  and  a  feeling  of  youthfulness  upon 
her  that  she  had  not  felt  for  some  time,  she  set  out 
on  her  journey. 


[290] 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

The  Last   Finger 

In  the  ordinary  course  of  things,  and  but  for  the 
dramatic  events  of  the  evening,  it  would  have  been 
about  the  time  of  night  when  dinner  was  finished  and 
the  house-party  had  gathered  in  the  drawing-room. 
It  had  been  somewhere  about  seven  when  the 
Americans  reached  Merton  Grange,  and  now  it 
was  getting  towards  nine.  It  was  not  exactly  the 
temperature  at  which  one  enjoys  an  evening  stroll, 
but  the  recent  events  had  been  so  exciting  that  Vera 
felt  how  impossible  it  would  be  to  settle  down  to  any- 
thing witliin  the  limits  of  the  house.  There  was  a 
moon,  too,  which  made  all  the  difference  in  the  world. 
As  Vera  walked  along,  she  almost  smiled  to  herself 
to  think  how  strange  her  conduct  might  look  in  the 
eyes  of  those  formal  people  whose  lives  run  in  con- 
ventional channels.  She  told  herself  more  than  once 
that  it  would  be  absurd  to  hope  to  see  Gerald  at  this 
time  of  night,  but  all  the  same  she  continued  her 
journey  across  the  park. 

She  had  not  so  far  to  go  as  she  expected,  for  pre- 
sently she  could  see  the  glow  of  a  cigar  in  the  dis- 
[291] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

tance,  and  Venner  came  up.  A  little  joyful  cry  came 
from  Vera. 

"This  is  very  fortunate,"  she  said.  "How  lucky 
it  is  that  I  should  run  against  you  in  this  fashion." 

"Well,  I  was  flattering  myself  that  you  came  on 
purpose,"  Venner  said.  "And,  after  all,  it  is  not 
so  very  lucky,  seeing  that  I  have  been  hanging  about 
this  house  on  the  chance  of  seeing  you  since  it  be- 
came dark.  But  you  look  rather  more  disturbed 
and  anxious  than  usual.  My  dear  girl,  I  do  hope 
and  trust  that  there  are  no  new  complications.  I 
shall  really  have  to  take  you  by  force  and  carry  you 
out  of  the  country.  Why  should  we  have  to  go  on 
living  this  miserable  kind  of  existence  when  we  can 
take  our  happiness  in  both  hands  and  enjoy  it? 
Now  don't  tell  me  that  something  fresh  has  occurred 
which  will  keep  us  apart,  for  another  year  or  two  ? 
By  the  way,  have  you  had  any  visitors  to-night .'' " 

"  What  do  you  know  about  them  "^  "  Vera  asked. 
"  Have  you  found  out  anything  about  Mr,  Fenwick  ?  " 

"Well,  I  should  say  so,"  Venner  said,  drily. 
"  I  have  absolutely  got  to  the  bottom  of  that  mysteri- 
ous coin  business.  In  fact,  I  accompanied  Egan 
and  Grady  to  London,  and  I  was  with  them  when 
they  arrested  that  awful  creature,  Blossett.  Egan 
and  Grady  are  old  friends  of  mine,  and  I  told  them 
all  about  the  strange  coins  and  how  you  literally 
burnt  your  fingers  over  them.  They  were  coming 
down  here  to  arrest  Fenwick,  and  I  offered  to  accom- 
[292] 


I 


THE   LAST  FINGER 

pany  them ;  but  they  dechned  ray  offer,  so  I  returned 
here  alone,  and  have  been  hanging  about  the  house, 
curious  to  know  what  had  taken  place.  Have  they 
bagged  our  friend  Fenwick  yet  ?  " 

"It  is  about  Mr,  Fenwick  that  I  wish  to  speak 
to  you,"  Vera  replied.  "  Mr.  Evors  is  down  here. 
By  the  way,  I  don't  know  whether  you  are  aware  of 
the  fact  that  he  is  the  son  of  Lord  Merton." 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  tell  me  the  story,"  Ven- 
ner  said. 

"I  am  coming  to  that  presently.  Mr.  Evors  is 
down  here;  he  is  the  man  who  is  engaged  to  my 
sister  Beth." 

Venner  whistled  softly  to  himself.  At  any  rate, 
he  knew  all  about  that,  for  liis  mind  went  swiftly 
back  to  the  series  of  dramatic  events  which  had  taken 
place  some  time  previously  in  the  house  in  Ports- 
mouth Square.  He  recollected  now  the  white- 
faced  young  man  who  had  broken  away  from  his 
captors  and  joined  Le  Fenu,  otherwise  Bates,  in  the 
drawing-room.  He  recollected  the  joy  and  delight 
of  the  girl,  and  how  she  had  clung  to  the  stranger  as 
if  he  had  come  back  to  her  from  the  other  side  of 
the  grave. 

"  There  will  be  a  great  many  things  to  be  explained 
between  us,  presently,"  he  said,  gravely.  "  But  for 
the  present,  I  want  to  know  all  about  Fenwick. 
Where  is  he  now.?" 

"He  is  hiding  up  at  the  house.  I  beheve  they 
[  293  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

have  put  him  into  a  secret  room,  the  whereabouts  of 
which  is  known  only  to  Charles  Evors.  Of  course, 
he  will  not  stay." 

"  But  why  shield  such  a  blackguard  at  all  ? " 
Venner  asked.  "  Surely,  after  all  the  trouble  he  has 
caused  you " 

"  You  must  not  forget  that  he  is  our  own  flesh  and 
blood,"  Vera  said,  quietly.  "  I  had  almost  ignored 
the  fact — I  am  afraid  I  should  have  ignored  it 
altogether  had  not  my  brother  taken  a  strong  view 
of  the  matter.  At  any  rate,  there  he  is,  and  we  are  in 
a  conspiracy  to  get  him  safely  out  of  the  country. 
For  the  present  the  man  is  utterly  broken  down  and 
absolutely  incapable  of  taking  care  of  himself. 
I  want  you  to  do  me  a  favor,  Gerald.  I  want  you 
to  take  a  hand  in  this  business.  Wliile  the  police 
are  still  hot  upon  the  track  it  would  not  be  prudent 
for  Mr.  Evors  or  my  brother  to  be  too  much  in 
evidence  just  now." 

"My  dearest  girl,  I  would  do  anything  in  the 
world  for  you,"  Venner  cried.  "And  if  I  am  to 
take  that  sorr)^  old  rascal  out  of  the  country  and 
get  rid  of  him  altogether,  I  will  do  so  with  pleasure 
and  never  count  the  cost.  If  I  could  see  your 
brother " 

"Then  why  not  come  and  see  him  now?"  Vera 
said.  "You  will  have  to  meet  sooner  or  later,  and 
there  could  be  no  better  opportunity  for  an  ex- 
planation." 

[294] 


THE  LAST  FINGER 

To  Le  Fenu  and  Evors  smoking  in  the  dining- 
room  came  Vera  and  Venner.  Le  Fenu  looked  up 
with  a  sort  of  mild  surprise  and  perhaps  just  a  sus- 
picion of  mistrust  in  his  eyes, 

"  Whom  have  we  here,  Vera  ?  "  he  said. 

"This  is  Mr.  Gerald  Venner,"  Vera  said.  "You 
know  him  perfectly  well  by  name — he  was  with  us, 
on  and  off,  for  a  considerable  time  before  our  poor 
father  died.  Father  had  a  great  regard  for  him, 
and  I  hope  you  will  have  the  same,  for  a  reason  which 
I  am  just  going  to  mention." 

"■  I  am  sure  I  am  very  pleased  to  meet  you,"  Le 
Fenu  said,  politely.  "This  is  my  friend,  Mr. 
Charles  Evors,  the  only  son  of  the  owner  of  the  house. 
When  I  come  to  look  at  you,  Mr.  Venner,  I  confess 
that  your  appearance  pleases  me,  but  I  have  had  to 
deal  with  so  many  suspicious  characters  lately  that 
really " 

"Don't  apologise,"  Venner  laughed.  "You  will 
have  to  make  the  best  of  me.  I  came  here  to-night 
with  Vera  to  have  a  thorough  explanation  of  certain 
matters." 

"Oh,  indeed,"  Le  Fenu  responded  with  uphfted 
brows.  "My  sister  and  you  appear  to  be  on  very 
familiar  terms " 

"It  is  only  natural,"  Vera  laughed.  A  vivid 
blush  flooded  her  face.  "Charles,  Mr.  Venner  is 
my  husband." 

"I  am  not  in  the  least  surprised  to  hear  it,"  Le 
[  295  1 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

Fenu  said.  "  In  fact,  I  am  not  surprised  at  anytliing. 
I  have  quite  outgrown  all  emotions  of  that  kind,  but 
perhaps  you  will  be  good  enough  to  tell  me  how  this 
came  about,  and  why  I  have  not  heard  it  before. 
As  your  brother,  I  am  entitled  to  know." 

"  Of  course,  you  are.  It  was  just  after  our  father 
died  that  I  promised  myself  to  Gerald.  I  had  my 
own  ideas  why  the  marriage  should  be  kept  a  secret. 
You  see,  I  had  more  or  less  thrown  in  my  lot  with  my 
uncle,  Mark  Fenwick,  because  I  had  determined  to 
get  to  the  bottom  of  the  business  of  our  father's 
death.  I  felt  certain  that  Charles  here  had  nothing 
to  do  with  it;  though,  owing  to  his  folly  and  weak- 
ness, he  played  directly  into  the  hands  of  the  man 
who  was  really  responsible  for  the  crime." 

"We  all  know  who  is  responsible  for  the  crime," 
Le  Fenu  said.  "There  is  no  necessity  to  mention 
his  name." 

"Oh,  I  know  that,"  Vera  went  on.  "The  ex- 
planation I  am  making  now  is  more  to  my  husband 
than  either  of  you.  He  has  been  goodness  and  kind- 
ness itself,  and  he  is  entitled  to  know  everything. 
It  was  within  a  few  minutes  of  my  being  married  that 
I  learned  something  of  the  dreadful  truth.  I 
learned  that  Fenwick  had  conspired  to  throw  the 
blame  of  the  tragedy  upon  Charles  Evors.  I  found 
out  what  an  effect  this  conspiracy  had  had  on  our 
poor  Beth.  There  and  then  I  came  to  a  great  resolu- 
tion. I  wrote  to  my  husband  and  told  him  that  in 
[296] 


THE    LAST  FINGER 

all  probability  I  could  never  see  him  again — at  any 
rate,  I  could  not  see  him  for  a  long  space  of  time. 
I  implored  him  to  trust  me  in  spite  of  all  appearances, 
and  he  did  so.  Now  he  knows  the  reason  why  I 
acted  so  strangely.  I  can  see  that  he  has  a  thousand 
questions  to  ask  me,  but  I  hope  that  he  will  refrain 
from  doing  so  at  present.  The  thing  that  troubles 
me  now  is  what  has  become  of  poor  little  Beth." 

"Oh,  she  is  all  right  enough,"  Le  Fenu  said. 
*'  I  thought  of  that  before  I  came  down.  I  have  left 
her  in  the  safe  hands  of  the  very  clever  doctor  who 
has  my  case  under  his  charge,  and  Beth  is  with  his 
family.  We  can  have  her  down  here  to-morrow  if 
you  like." 

"Nothing  would  please  me  better,"  Vera  said, 
fervently.  "And  now,  I  want  to  know  if  you  have 
done  anything  or  formed  any  plan  for  getting  rid 
of  Mark  Fenwick.  I  shall  not  be  able  to  breathe 
here  until  he  is  gone." 

Le  Fenu  explained  that  they  had  come  to  no  con- 
clusion at  present.  He  was  quite  alive  to  the  fact 
that  delay  was  dangerous,  seeing  that  Lord  Merton's 
agents  would  have  to  communicate  with  him  by 
telegram,  and  that  the  owner  of  the  house  might  be 
back  again  at  any  moment.  Therefore,  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  that  something  should  be  done 
in  the  matter  of  Mark  Fenwick  without  loss  of  time. 
Vera  indicated  her  companion. 

"That  is  why  1  brought  Gerald  here,"  she  said. 
[  297  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

*'  I  thought  he  might  be  able  to  help  us.  He  knows 
all  sorts  and  conditions  of  people,  and  it  is  probable 
that  he  may  be  able  to  find  an  asylum  in  Ixjndon 
where  the  wretched  man  upstairs  can  hide  till  it  is 
quite  safe  to  get  him  out  of  the  way." 

"I  think  I  can  manage  that  part  of  the  pro- 
gramme," Venner  said.  "There  is  an  old  servant 
of  mine  living  down  Poplar  way  with  his  wife  who 
will  do  anything  I  ask  him.  The  man  has  accom- 
panied me  all  over  the  world,  and  he  is  exceedingly 
handy  in  every  way.  Those  people  would  take  a 
lodger  to  oblige  me,  and  when  you  come  to  think  of  it, 
Poplar  is  not  at  all  a  bad  place  for  anybody  who 
wants  to  get  out  of  the  country  without  being  ob- 
served. It  is  close  to  the  river,  and  all  sorts  of  craft 
are  constantly  going  up  and  down.  What  do  you 
think  of  the  idea  ?  " 

"  Excellent,"  Evors  cried.  "  Couldn't  be  better. 
Do  you  think  those  people  would  mind  if  you  looked 
them  up  very  late  to-night  ?  " 

"Not  in  the  least,"  Venner  said.  "There  is  only 
one  drawback,  and  that  is  the  danger  of  traveling." 

Le  Fenu  suggested  that  the  difficulty  could  be 
easily  overcome  by  the  use  of  Fen  wick's  motor, 
•which,  fortunately,  the  detectives  had  brought  back 
with  them  when  they  came  in  search  of  the  culprit. 
It  was  an  easy  matter  to  rig  Fen  wick  up  in  something 
suggestive  of  a  feminine  garb  and  smuggle  him  out 
into  the  grounds,  and  thence  to  the  stable,  where 
[298  1 


THE   LAST  FINGER 

the  motor  was  waiting.  Fenwick  came  downstairs 
presently,  a  pitiable  object.  His  mind  still  seemed 
wandering;  but  he  braced  himself  up  and  became 
a  little  more  Uke  his  old  self  when  the  plan  of  action 
was  explained  to  him..  Vera  drew  a  deep  breath  of 
reUef  when  once  the  man  was  outside  the  house. 

"Thank  God,  we  shall  never  see  him  again,'* 
she  said,  fervently.  "And  now,  I  believe  I  could 
eat  something.  It  is  the  first  time  that  the  idea  of 
food  has  been  pleasant  to  me  for  days." 

Meanwhile,  Venner  and  Fenwick  were  speeding 
along  in  the  car  towards  London.  Perhaps  it  was 
the  knowledge  that  safety  lay  before  him,  perhaps: 
it  was  the  exhilaration  caused  by  the  swift  motion 
of  the  car,  but  Fenwick  became  more  and  more  like 
himself  as  they  began  to  near  the  Metropolis. 

"This  is  very  kind  of  you,"  he  said,  "considering 
you  are  a  stranger  to  me.  If  you  only  knew  my  un- 
fortunate stor}' " 

"  I  know  your  storj-  perfectly,"  Venner  said,  coldly. 
"  You  see,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  the  friendship  of  the 
late  Mr.  George  Le  Fenu,  and  INIr.  Evors  and  the 
younger  Mr.  Le  Fenu  are  also  known  to  me.  Not 
to  be  behindhand  in  exchaniiing  confidence  for 
confidence,  I  may  also  say  that  your  niece,  ^'era,  is 
my  wife." 

FeuTs-ick  said  no  more,  for  which  Venner  was  pro- 
foundly grateful.  They  came  at  length  to  the  Httle 
ht^use  in  Poplar,  where  Fenwick  was  smuggled  in, 
[299  1 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR   FINGERS 

and  a  certain  part  of  the  story  confided  to  a  seafaring 
man  and  his  comfortable,  motherly  wife,  who  pro- 
fessed themselves  ready  and  willing  to  do  anything 
that  Venner  asked  them. 

"  Give  him  a  sitting-room  and  a  bedroom,"  Ven- 
ner said;  "and  take  this  ten-pound  note  and  buy 
him  a  rough  workman's  wardrobe  in  the  morning 
as  if  you  were  purchasing  it  for  yourself.  Let  him 
lie  low  here  for  a  day  or  two,  and  I  will  write  you 
instructions.  As  to  myself,  I  must  get  back  to  Canter- 
bury without  delay." 

Trembling  with  a  sort  of  fearful  joy,  Fenwick 
found  himself  presently  in  a  comfortable  sitting- 
room  at  the  back  of  the  house.  He  noted  the  clean- 
liness of  the  place,  and  his  heart  lightened  within 
him.  Something  of  his  own  stern  self-reliant  cour- 
age was  coming  back  to  him;  his  busy  mind  began 
to  plan  for  the  future.  Presently  he  was  conscious 
of  a  healthy  desire  to  eat  and  drink.  In  response 
to  his  ring,  the  landlady  informed  him  that  she  had 
some  cold  meat  in  the  house,  and  that  it  was  not 
yet  too  late  to  send  out  for  some  wine  if  he  desired  it. 

"Very  well,"  Fenwick  said  in  high  good-humor. 
"  Give  me  the  cold  meat,  and  ask  your  husband  to 
get  me  a  bottle  of  brandy.  I  shall  feel  all  the  better 
for  a  thorough  wash,  and  don't  be  long,  my  good 
woman,  for  I  have  never  been  so  hungry  in  my  life 
as  I  am  now." 

Fenwick  returned  to  the  sitting-room  a  few  min- 
[300] 


THE   LAST   FINGER 

utes  later  to  find  a  decent  meal  spread  out  for  him. 
There  was  cheese  and  butter  and  some  cold  meat 
under  a  metal  cover.  A  bottle  of  brandy  stood  by 
the  side  of  Fenwick's  plate,  with  a  syphon  of  soda- 
water.  He  took  a  hearty  pull  of  the  mixture. 
The  generous  spirit  glowed  in  his  veins.  He  would 
cheat  the  world  yet. 

"And  now  for  the  food,"  he  said.  "I  trust  it  is 
beef.  Nothing  like  beef  on  occasions  like  this. 
Also " 

He  raised  the  cover  from  a  dish.  Then  he  jumped 
to  his  feet  with  a  snarling  oath.  He  could  only  stand 
there  trembUng  in  every  limb,  with  a  fascinated  gaze 
on  the  dish  before  him. 

"God  help  me,"  he  whispered.  "There  is  no 
getting  away  from  it.  The  last  warning — the 
fourth  finger!" 


[301] 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

Nemesis 

For  a  long  space  of  time  Fenwick  stood  there,  his 
head  buried  in  his  hands.  All  the  way  through, 
he  had  never  been  able  to  disguise  from  himseh^ 
the  feeling  that,  sooner  or  later,  tliis  dread  thing  must 
happen.  Years  ago  he  had  taken  his  life  in  his  hands 
in  exploring  the  recesses  of  the  Four  Finger  Mine; 
he  had  more  or  less  known  what  he  had  to  expect, 
for  the  mine  had  been  a  sacred  thing,  almost  a  part 
of  the  religion  of  the  diminishing  tribe  which  had 
imparted  the  secret  to  Le  Fenu,  and  any  intruder 
was  bound  to  suffer.  So  far  as  FenA^ack  knew,  the 
last  survivor  of  this  tribe  was  Felix  Zary.  Leaving 
out  of  account  altogether  the  latter's  religious  fana- 
ticism, he  had  been  deeply  and  sincerely  attached  to 
the  family  of  Le  Fenu,  and  now  he  was  playing  the 
part  of  the  avenging  genius.  All  these  things 
came  back  to  Fenwick  as  he  sat  there. 

He  knew  full  well  the  character  of  the  man  he 
had  to  deal  with;  he  knew  how  clever  and  resource- 
ful Felix  Zary  was.  Hitherto,  he  had  scorned  the 
suggestion  that  there  was  some  mysterious  magic 
behind  Zary's  movements,  but  now  he  did  not  know 
[302  1 


NEMESIS 

what  to  think.  All  he  knew  was  that  he  was  doomed, 
and  that  all  the  police  in  the  Metropohs  could  not 
shield  him  from  the  reach  of  Zary's  long  arm. 

And  here,  indeed,  was  proof  positive  of  the  fact. 
Two  hours  before,  nobody,  not  even  Fenwick  him- 
self, knew  that  he  would  spend  the  night  at  the  little 
house  in  Poplar.  And  here  was  Zary  already  upon 
his  track,  almost  before  he  had  started  on  the  long 
journey  which  was  intended  to  lead  to  the  path  of 
safety.  Fenwick  never  troubled  to  think  what  had 
become  of  the  meal  prepared  for  him,  or  how  the 
extraordinary  change  had  been  brought  about. 
Gradually,  as  he  sat  there,  sometliing  like  strength 
and  courage  came  back  to  him.  Come  what  might, 
he  would  not  yield,  he  would  not  surrender  himself 
into  the  hands  of  the  foe  without  a  struggle.  He 
replaced  the  cover  on  the  dish,  and  rang  the  bell  for 
his  landlady.  She  came  in  a  moment  later,  comfort- 
able and  smihng,  the  very  picture  of  respectable 
middle-age.  As  Fenwick  glanced  at  her,  he  at  once 
acquitted  her  of  any  connection  with  his  final  warn- 
ing. 

"I  am  sorry  to  trouble  you,"  he  said,  "but  I 
should  like  to  know  if  you  have  any  other  lodgers. 
You  see,  I  am  rather  a  bad  sleeper,  suffering  a 
great  deal  from  nightmare,  and  I  should  not  hke  to 
alarm  your  other  lodgers  in  the  middle  of  the  night." 

"Lord  bless  you,  sir,"  the  woman  said,  "we 
haven't  any  lodgers  at  all.  We  don't  need  to  take 
[303] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

them,  seeing  that  my  man  is  comfortably  fixed. 
Of  course,  we  are  pleased  to  do  anything  we  can  for 
you,  but  we  shouldn't  have  had  you  here  at  all  if  it 
hadn't  been  to  please  Mr.  Venner.  We'd  do  any- 
thing for  him." 

"No  doubt,"  Fenwick  said,  hastily.  "I  suppose 
your  husband  sees  a  good  many  of  his  old  friends 
occasionally  ?  " 

"No,  he  doesn't,"  the  woman  replied.  "I  don't 
suppose  we  have  had  anybody  in  the  house  except 
yourself  for  the  last  two  months.  I  hope  you 
have  enjoyed  your  supper,  sir  ?  " 

"Oh,  yes,"  Fenwick  stammered.  "I  finished  all 
the  meat.  There  is  one  thing  more  I  should  like 
to  ask  you.  I  may  have  to  go  out  presently,  late 
as  it  is.  Do  you  happen  to  have  such  a  thing  as  a 
latchkey  ?  If  you  haven't,  the  key  of  the  front  door 
will  do." 

The  latchkey  was  forthcoming,  and  presently 
Fenwick  heard  his  landlord  and  his  wife  going  up- 
stairs to  bed.  He  did  not  feel  comfortable  until  he 
had  crept  all  over  the  house  and  seen  that  everything 
was  made  secure.  Then  he  sat  down  to  think  the 
matter  out.  Twice  he  helped  himself  liberally  to 
brandy,  a  third  time  his  hand  went  mechanically  to 
the  bottle — then  he  drew  back. 

"  I  mustn't  have  any  more  of  that,"  he  said.  "  It 
■would  be  simply  playing  into  the  hands  of  the  fiend 
who  is  pursuing  me." 

[304] 


NEMESIS 

"With  a  resolution  that  cost  him  an  effort,  Fen- 
wick  locked  the  brandy  away  in  a  cupboard  and 
threw  the  key  out  of  the  window.  In  his  present 
state  of  mind  he  dared  not  trust  himself  too  far. 
Partially  divesting  himself  of  his  clothing  he  drew 
from  about  his  waist  a  soft  leather  belt  containing 
pockets,  and  from  these  pockets  he  produced  a 
large  amount  of  gold  coins  and  a  packet  of  bank- 
notes. Altogether  there  were  some  hundreds  of 
pounds,  and  Fenwick  congratulated  himself  on  the 
foresight  which  had  led  him  to  adopt  this  plan  in 
case  necessity  demanded  it.  He  had  enough  and 
more  than  enough  to  take  him  to  the  other  side 
of  the  world,  if  only  he  could  manage  to  get  rid  of 
Felix  Zary. 

His  mind  was  made  up  at  length;  he  would  creep 
out  of  the  house  in  the  dead  of  the  night  and  make 
his  way  down  to  the  Docks.  At  every  hour  ships  of 
various  size  and  tonnage  put  out  of  the  port  of  Lon- 
don, and,  no  doubt,  the  skipper  of  one  of  these  for  a 
consideration  would  take  him  wherever  he  wanted 
to  go ;  and  Fenwick  knew,  moreover,  that  there  were 
scores  of  public-houses  along  the  side  of  the  river 
which  are  practically  never  closed,  and  wliich  are 
run  entirely  for  the  benefit  of  seafaring  men.  It 
would  be  easy  to  make  inquiries  at  some  of  these 
and  discover  what  vessels  were  leaN^ng  by  the  next 
tide,  and  a  bargain  could  be  struck  immediately, 
go  far  as  Fenwuck  was  concerned,  he  inchned  to- 
20  [  305  J 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

wards  a  sailing  ship  bound  for  the  Argentine.  His 
spirits  rose  sUghtly  at  the  prospect  before  him; 
his  step  was  fairly  light  and  buoyant  as  he  proceeded 
in  the  direction  of  his  bedroom.  There  was  no 
light  in  the  room,  so  that  he  had  to  fumble  about  in 
his  pockets  for  a  box  of  matches  which  fell  from  his 
fingers  and  dropped  on  to  the  floor. 

"  Confound  it,"  Fenwick  muttered.  "  Where  are 
Ihey?" 

"  Don't  trouble,"  a  calm,  quiet  voice  said  out  of 
the  darkness.  "I  have  matches,  with  which  I 
will  proceed  to  light  the  gas." 

Fenwick  could  have  cried  aloud,  had  he  been 
physically  able  to  do  so.  There  was  no  reason 
for  a  light  to  be  struck  or  the  gas  to  be  lighted  so 
that  he  might  see  the  face  of  the  speaker.  Indeed, 
he  recognised  the  voice  far  too  well  for  that.  A 
moment  later,  he  was  gazing  at  the  impassive  face  of 
Felix  Zary. 

"You  did  not  expect  to  see  me,"  the  latter  said. 
"You  were  under  the  impression  that  you  were 
going  to  get  away  from  me.  Never  did  man  make  a 
greater  mistake.  It  matters  little  what  you  do,  it 
will  matter  nothing  to  you  or  anybody  else  in  twelve 
hours  from  now.  Do  you  realise  the  fact  that  you 
have  but  that  time  to  live?  Do  you  understand 
that  ?  " 

"  You  would  murder  me  ? "  Fenwick  said  hoarsely. 

"  You  may  calm  yourself  on  that  score.  You  are 
[306] 


NEMESIS 

unarmed,  and  I  have  not  so  much  as  a  pocket  knife 
in  my  possession.  I  shall  not  lay  a  hand  upon  you — 
I  shall  not  peril  my  soul  for  the  sake  of  a  creature  like 
you.  There  are  other  ways  and  other  methods  of 
which  you  know  nothing." 

"  How  did  you  get  here  ?  "  Fenwick  asked  hoarse- 
ly. "How  did  you  put  that  dreadful  thing  on  my 
tahler 

Zary  smiled  in  a  strange,  bland  fashion.  He 
could  have  told  Fenwick  prosaically  what  a  man 
with  a  grasp  like  his  could  do  in  connection  with  a 
water  pipe.  He  could  have  told,  also,  how  he 
had  dogged  and  watched  his  victim  within  the  last 
few  hours,  with  the  pertinacity  of  a  bloodhound. 
But  Zary  could  see  how  Fenwick  was  shaken  and 
dazed  by  some  terrible  thing  which  he  could  not 
understand.  It  was  no  cue  of  Zary's  to  enlighten 
the  miserable  man  opposite. 

"There  are  things  utterly  beyond  your  compre- 
hension," he  said,  calmly.  "If  you  look  back  to 
the  past  you  will  remember  how  we  laid  our  mark 
upon  the  man  who  stole  the  Four  Finger  INline. 
That  man,  I  need  not  say,  was  yourself.  To  gain 
your  ends  you  did  not  scruple  to  take  the  life  of 
your  greatest  friend,  the  greatest  benefactor  you  ever 
had.  You  thought  the  thing  out  carefully.  You 
devised  a  cunning  scheme  whereby  you  might  be- 
come rich  and  powerful  at  the  expense  of  George  Le 
Fenu,  and  scarcely  was  the  earth  dry  upon  his  coffin 
[  307  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

before  your  warnings  came.  You  knew  the  legend 
of  the  Four  Finger  Mine,  and  you  elected  to  defy  it. 
A  week  went  by,  a  week  during  which  you  took  the 
gold  from  the  mine,  and  all  seemed  well  with  you. 
Then  you  woke  one  morning  to  find  that  in  the  night 
you  had  lost  your  forefinger  without  the  slightest 
pain  and  with  very  little  loss  of  blood.  That  was 
the  first  sign  of  the  vengeance  of  the  genius  of  the 
mine.  Shaken  and  frightened  as  you  were,  you 
hardened  your  heart,  hke  Pharaoh  of  old,  and  de- 
termined to  continue.  Another  week  passed,  and 
yet  another  finger  vanished  in  the  same  mysterious 
fashion.  Still,  you  decided  to  stand  the  test,  and 
your  third  warning  came.  With  the  fourth  warning, 
your  nerves  utterly  gave  way,  and  you  fled  from  the 
mine  with  less  ill-gotten  gain  than  you  had  expected. 
It  matters  nothing  to  me  what  followed  afterwards, 
but  you  will  admit  that  at  the  present  moment  you 
have  not  benefitted  much  by  your  crime.  I  have 
notliing  more  to  say  to  you.  I  only  came  here  to- 
night just  to  prove  to  you  how  impossible  it  is  for 
you  to  hide  from  the  vengeance  of  the  mine.  In 
your  last  bitter  moments  I  want  you  to  think  of  my 

words  and  realise " 

As  Zary  spoke  he  moved  across  the  room  in  the 
direction  of  the  gas  bracket;  he  laid  his  hand  upon 
the  tap,  and  a  moment  later  the  room  was  in  dark- 
ness. There  was  a  sound  like  the  sliding  of  a  win- 
dow, followed  by  a  sudden  rush  of  cold  air,  and  by 
[308] 


NEMESIS 

the  time  that  Fenwick  had  found  his  matches  and 
lighted  the  gas  again  there  was  not  so  much  as  a 
trace  of  Zary  to  be  seen. 

"I  wish  I  hadn't  thrown  away  the  key  of  that 
cupboard,"  Fenwick  said,  hoarsely.  "I  would  give 
half  I  possess  for  one  drop  of  brandy  now.  Still, 
I  won't  give  in,  I  won't  be  beaten  by  that  fellow. 
At  any  rate,  he  can't  possibly  know  what  I  intend 
to  do.  He  could  not  know  that  I  shall  be  on  board 
a  vessel  before  morning." 

Half  an  hour  later,  Fenwick  left  the  house  and 
made  his  way  straight  to  the  Docks.  At  a  public- 
house  in  the  vicinity  he  obtained  the  brandy  that  he 
needed  so  badly,  and  felt  a  little  stiffened  and  braced 
up  by  the  spirit.  He  found  presently  the  thing  he 
wanted,  in  the  shape  of  a  large  barque  bound  for  the 
River  Plate.  The  skipper,  a  burly-looking  man 
with  an  enormous  black  beard,  was  uproariously 
drunk,  but  not  quite  so  intoxicated  that  he  could 
not  see  the  business  side  of  a  bargain. 

"  Oh,  you  want  to  go  out  with  me,  mister  ? "  he 
said.  "  Well,  that's  easily  enough  managed.  We've 
got  no  passengers  on  board,  and  you'll  have  to  rough 
it  with  the  rest  of  us.  I  don't  mind  taking  you  on 
for  fifty  pounds." 

"That's  a  lot  of  money,"  Fenwick  protested. 

The  black-bearded  skipper  winked  solemnly 
at  the  speaker. 

"There's  always  a  risk  in  dealing  with  stolen 
[309] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

goods,"  he  said.  *'  Besides  fifty  pounds  isn't  much 
for  a  man  who  wants  to  get  out  of  the  country  as 
badly  as  I  see  you  do,  and  once  I  have  passed  my 
word  to  do  it,  I'll  see  you  safe  through,  and  so  will 
my  crew,  or  I'll  know  the  reason  why.  Now, 
my  yellow  pal,  fork  out  that  money,  and  in  half  an 
hour  you'll  be  as  safe  as  if  you  were  on  the  other  side  of 
the  herring-pond  and  not  a  policeman  in  London  will 
know  where  to  find  you.    Now,  is  it  a  bargain  or  not  ? " 

Fen  wick  made  no  further  demur;  he  accepted  the 
conditions  there  and  then.  There  was  nothing  to  be 
gained  by  affecting  to  pose  as  an  honest  man,  and  he 
was  a  little  frightened  to  find  how  easily  this  drunken 
ruffian  had  spotted  him  for  a  fugitive  from  justice. 

"  I  can't  give  you  the  money  just  nov/,"  he  whisper- 
ed. "  I've  got  it  concealed  about  me,  and  to  produce 
a  lot  of  cash  in  a  mixed  company  like  this  would  be 
too   dangerous." 

The  skipper  nodded,  and  proposed  further  re- 
freshment. Fen  wick  agreed  eagerly  enough;  he 
was  feeling  desperate  now,  and  he  did  not  seem  to 
care  much  what  happened  to  him.  He  could  afford 
to  place  himself  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  black- 
bearded  skipper,  who  would  look  after  him  closely 
for  his  own  sake.  After  all  said  and  done,  he  had 
no  cause  to  doubt  the  honesty  of  the  seaman,  who 
appeared  to  be  fairly  popular  with  his  companions 
and  well-known  in  the  neighborhood.  It  was  the 
best  part  of  an  hour  before  the  commander  of  the 
[310] 


NEMESIS 

barque  staggered  to  his  feet  and  announced  in  an 
incoherent  voice  that  it  was  time  to  get  aboard. 
Presently  they  were  straggling  down  to  the  dock, 
Fenwick  propping  up  his  companion  and  wondering 
if  the  latter  was  sober  enough  to  find  his  way  to  his 
ship.  It  was  very  dark;  a  thin  rain  had  begun 
to  fall,  and  the  waters  of  the  river  were  ruffled  by 
an  easterly  breeze.  The  skipper  stumbled  down  a 
flight  of  steps  and  into  a  roomy  boat,  which  was 
prevented  from  capsizing  by  something  like  a  miracle. 
Presently  they  came  alongside  the  black  hull  of  a 
vessel,  and  Fenwick  found  himself  climbing  up  a 
greasy  ladder  on  to  a  dirty  deck,  where  two  seamen 
were  passing  the  time  playing  a  game  of  cards. 
Down  below,  the  skipper  indicated  a  stuffy  little  bunk 
leading  out  of  his  own  cabin,  which  he  informed  Fen- 
wick would  be  placed  at  his  disposal  for  the  voyage. 

"If  you  don't  mind  I'll  turn  in  now,"  the  latter 
said.  "  I'm  dead  tired  and  worn  out.  My  nerves 
are  all  jumping  like  red  hot  wires.  Do  you  think 
I  shall  be  safe  here  ?  " 

"Safe  as  houses!"  the  skipper  said.  "And, 
besides,  we  shall  be  dropping  down  the  river  in  about 
an  hour." 

Just  as  he  was,  Fenwick  rolled  into  the  bunk, 
and  in  a  moment  was  fast  asleep.  When  he  came 
to  himself  again,  the  vessel  was  pitching  and  rolling; 
he  could  hear  the  rattling  creak  of  blocks  and 
rigging ;  there  was  a  sweeter  and  fresher  atmosphere 
[311] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

in  the  little  cabin.  A  sense  of  elation  possessed  the 
fugitive.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he  was  absolutely 
safe  at  last.  The  skipper  had  e\'idently  gone  on 
deck  after  having  finished  his  breakfast,  for  the  plates 
lay  about  the  table  and  some  tepid  coffee  in  a  tin  had 
apparently  been  left  for  the  use  of  the  passenger. 

"  I  don't  think  much  of  this,"  Fenwick  muttered. 
"Still  I  daresay  I  can  better  it  if  I  pay  for  it.  I'll 
go  on  deck  presently  and  see  what  the  black-bearded 
pirate  has  to  say.  At  any  rate,  I  am  absolutely  safe 
now,  and  can  afford  to  laugh  at  the  threats  of  Felix 
Zary.     If  that  man  thinks " 

Fenwick  paused,  and  the  knife  and  fork  he  was 
holding  over  the  cold  bacon  fell  from  his  hands. 
It  was  too  cruel,  the  irony  of  Fate  too  bitter,  for  there, 
just  in  front  of  him,  propped  up  by  the  sugar  basin, 
was  a  cabinet  photograph  of  the  very  man  who  was 
uppermost  in  his  thoughts.  It  was  Felix  Zary  to 
the  hfe;  the  same  calm,  philosophic  features,  the 
same  great  round  eyes  like  those  of  a  Persian  cat. 
It  all  came  back  to  Fenwick  now,  the  whole  horror  of 
the  situation.  His  head  whirled,  and  spots  seemed 
to  dance  before  his  eyes;  a  string  snapped  some- 
where in  his  brain.  Zary  w^as  behind  him,  he 
thought,  close  behind  him  like  an  avenging  fury. 

With  a  horrid  scream,  Fenwick  tumbled  up  the 
stairs  on  to  the  slippery  deck.     All  round  him  was 
a  wild  waste  of  white  waters.     The  ship  heeled  over 
as  Fenwick  darted  to  the  side  .  .  . 
[312] 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

Explanations 

Night  was  beginning  to  fight  with  morning  by  the 
time  that  Venner  returned  to  IVIerton  Grange. 
There  was  no  one  to  be  seen ;  the  house  was  in  total 
darkness,  so  that  Venner  placed  the  motor  in  the 
stable  and  returned  to  his  own  rooms.  On  the 
whole,  he  was  disposed  to  congratulate  himself 
upon  the  result  of  his  night's  work.  It  mattered 
very  little  to  himself  or  anybody  else  what  became 
of  Fenwick,  now  he  was  once  out  of  the  way.  He 
was  never  hkely  to  trouble  them  again,  and  as  far 
as  Venner  could  see,  he  was  now  in  a  position  openly 
to  claim  his  wife  before  all  the  world. 

Despite  his  feeling  of  happiness,  Venner  slept 
but  badly,  and  a  little  after  ten  o'clock  the  next 
morning  found  him  back  at  Merton  Grange.  Evors 
greeted  him  cordially,  with  the  information  that  he 
alone  was  up  as  yet,  and  that  the  others  had  doubt- 
less taken  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  get  a  good 
night's  rest, 

"And  you  will  see,  my  dear  fellow,"  he  said, 
"how  necessar}'  such  a  thing  is.  Goodness  knows 
how  long  it  is  since  I  went  to  bed  with  my  mind  ab- 
[313] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

solutely  at  rest.  The  same  remark  applies  with 
equal  force  to  Miss  Le  Fenu — I  mean  your  wife." 

"I  can  quite  understand  that,"  Venner  said. 
**  It  has  been  much  the  same  with  me,  though  I  must 
confess  that  I  was  so  happy  last  night  that  I  could 
not  sleep  at  all.  By  the  way,  have  you  any  informa- 
tion as  to  your  father's  movements  ?  He  probably 
knows  by  this  time  that  his  house  has  been  given  over 
to  a  gang  of  swindlers." 

"He  does,"  Evors  said.  "I  have  had  a  telegram 
from  him  this  morning  to  say  that  he  will  be  home 
some  time  in  the  course  of  the  day;  and,  to  tell  the 
truth,  I  am  looking  forward  with  some  dread  to 
meeting  my  father.  But  I  think  I  shall  be  able  to 
convince  him  now  that  I  am  in  earnest  and  that  I  am 
anxious  to  settle  down  in  the  old  place  and  take  my 
share  in  the  working  of  the  estate.  When  my 
father  sees  Beth  and  knows  her  story,  I  am  sanguine 
that  he  will  give  us  a  welcome,  and  that  my  adven- 
tures will  be  over.  I  want  him  to  meet  Beth  down 
here,  and  last  night  after  you  had  gone,  and  we  were 
talking  matters  over.  Vera  promised  to  go  up  to 
town  to-day  and  fetch  her  sister.  By  the  way,  what 
has  become  of  your  friend — Gurdon,  I  think  his 
name  is  ?  I  mean  the  fellow  who  very  nearly  lost 
his  life  the  night  he  fell  down  the  cellar  trap  and 
found  himself  landed  in  the  house  in  Portsmouth 
Square." 

"Oh,  Gurdon's  all  right,"  Venner  laughed. 
[314] 


EXPLANATIONS 

"I  hope  you  will  have  the  chance  of  making  his 
acquaintance  in  the  course  of  the  day.  You  seem 
to  have  been  in  Charles  Le  Fenu's  confidence  for 
some  time — tell  me,  why  all  that  mystery  about  the 
house  in  Portsmouth  Square?  Of  course,  I  don't 
mean  Le  Fenu's  reason  for  calling  himself  Bates, 
and  all  that  kind  of  thing,  because  that  w^as  perfectly 
obvious.  Under  the  name  of  Bates  he  was  lying 
low  and  maturing  his  plans  for  crushing  Fenwick. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  Fenwick  was  almost  too  much 
for  him.  Indeed,  he  would  have  been  if  Gurdon 
and  myself  had  not  interfered  and  given  both  of 
you  a  chance  to  escape.  It  was  a  very  neat  idea  of 
Fenv/ick's  to  kidnap  a  man  and  keep  him  a  prisoner 
in  his  own  house." 

"Yes,"  Evors  said.  "And  he  used  his  own 
house  for  illegal  purposes.  But  before  I  answer 
your  question,  let  me  ask  you  one.  Why  was  Gur- 
don prowUng  about  Portsmouth  Square  that  night  "^  " 

"That  is  quite  easily  explained,"  Venner  replied. 
"  I  sent  him.  To  go  back  to  the  beginning  of  things, 
I  have  to  revert  to  the  night  when  I  first  saw  Mark 
Fenwick  at  the  Great  Empire  Hotel,  posing  as  a  mil- 
lionaire, and  having  for  company  a  girl  who  passed 
as  his  daughter.  Seeing  that  this  pseudo  Miss 
Fenwick  was  my  own  wife,  you  can  imagine  how 
interested  I  was.  She  has  already  told  in  your  hear- 
ing the  reason  why  she  left  mc  on  our  wedding  day, 
and  if  I  am  satisfied  with  those  reasons  it  is  nothing 
[315] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

to  do  with  anybody.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  am 
satisfied  with  them,  and  there  is  no  more  to  be  saidj 
but  when  I  ran  against  Vera  again  at  the  hotel  I 
knew  nothing  of  past  events,  and  I  made  an  effort 
to  find  out  the  cause  of  her  apparently  strange  con- 
duct. In  a  way,  she  was  fighting  against  me;  she 
would  tell  me  nothing,  and  I  had  to  find  out  every- 
thing for  myself.  On  the  night  in  question  I  sent 
Gurdon  to  Portsmouth  Square,  and  he  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  betray  himself." 

"It  nearly  ended  in  his  death,"  Evors  said,  sober- 
ly. "Charles  Le  Fenu  was  very  bitter  just  about 
that  time.  You  can  quite  understand  how  it  was 
that  he  mistook  Gurdon  for  one  of  Fenwick's  spies. 
But  why  did  he  go  there  ?  " 

"He  followed  my  wife,  and  there  you  have  the 
simple  explanation  of  the  whole  thing.  But  you 
have  not  yet  told  me  why  those  two  or  three  rooms 
were  furnished  in  the  empty  house." 

"Who  told  you  about  that.''"  Evors  asked. 

"  What  a  chap  you  are  to  ask  questions !  We  got 
into  the  empty  house  after  the  so-called  Bates  was 
supposed  to  have  been  kidnapped,  and  to  our  sur- 
prise we  found  that  all  that  fine  furniture  had 
vanished.  There  was  no  litter  of  straw  or  sign  of  re- 
moval outside,  so  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it 
had  been  conveyed  from  one  house  to  the  other. 
After  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  we  lit  upon  a  moveable 
panel,  and  by  means  of  it  entered  the  house  where 
[316] 


EXPLANATIONS 

you  and  Le  Fenu  were  practically  prisoners.  We 
were  on  the  premises  when  you  managed  to  get  the 
better  of  that  man  in  the  carpet  slippers  and  his 
companion;  we  heard  all  that  took  place  in  the 
iirawing-room  between  Fenwick  and  Beth  and  Le 
Fenu.  In  fact,  we  aided  and  abetted  in  getting  the 
police  into  the  house.  You  will  recollect  how 
cleverly  Le  Fenu  managed  the  rest,  and  how  he  and 
you  got  away  from  the  house  without  causing  any 
scandal.  That  was  very  smartly  done.  But  come, 
are  you  going  to  tell  me  the  story  of  the  empty  house, 
and  why  it  was  partly  furnished .'' " 

"I  think  I  can  come  to  that  now,"  Evors  said. 
"The  whole  thing  was  born  in  the  ingenious  brain 
of  Felix  Zar}'.  He  was  going  to  lay  some  sort  of 
trap  for  Fenwick,  but  we  shall  never  know  what  it 
was  now,  because  Fate  has  disposed  of  Fenwick  in 
some  other  way.  Now,  won't  you  sit  down  and 
have  some  breakfast  with  me?" 

At  the  same  moment  Vera  came  in.  Familiar  as 
her  features  were  and  well  as  Venner  knew  her, 
there  was  a  brightness  and  sweetness  about  her  now 
that  he  had  never  noticed  before.  The  cloud  seemed 
to  have  lifted  from  her  face;  her  eyes  were  no  longer 
sad  and  sombre — they  were  beaming  with  happiness. 

"I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,"  she  said.  "We 
want  you  to  know  all  that  happened  last  night  after 
you  had  gone." 

Venner  explained  that  he  knew  pretty  well  all 
[317] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

that  had  taken  place,  as  he  had  been  having  it  all 
out  with  Evors.  What  he  wanted  now  was  to  get 
Vera  to  himself,  and  presently  he  had  his  way. 

"We  are  going  for  a  long  walk,"  he  said,  "where 
I  have  something  serious  to  say  to  you.  Now  that 
you  have  no  longer  any  troubles  on  your  shoulders, 
I  can  be  very  firm  with  you " 

"  Not  just  yet,"  Vera  laughed.  "  Later  on  you 
can  be  as  firm  as  you  like,  and  we  are  not  going  for 
a  long  walk  either.  We  shall  just  have  time  to  get 
to  the  station  and  catch  the  11.15  to  Victoria.  I 
am  going  up  to  London  to-day  to  bring  Beth  down 
here.  I  think  the  change  Mnll  do  her  good.  Of 
course,  we  can't  remain  in  the  house,  so  I  have  taken 
rooms  for  the  three  of  us  at  a  farm  close  by.  When 
Beth  has  had  everything  explained  to  her  and.knows 
that  the  man  she  loves  is  free,  you  will  see  a  change 
for  the  better  in  the  poor  child.  There  is  nothing 
really  the  matter  with  her  mind,  and  when  she  realises 
her  happiness  she  will  soon  be  as  well  as  any  of  us. 
You  will  come  with  me  to  London,  Gerald .'' " 

"My  dearest  girl,  of  course  I  will,"  Venner  said. 
*'  I  will  do  anything  you  like.  Let  us  get  these  things 
pushed  through  as  speedily  as  possible,  so  that  we 
can  start  on  our  honeymoon,  which  has  been  delayed 
for  a  trifling  matter  of  three  years,  and  you  cannot 
say  that  I  have  been  unduly  impatient." 

Vera  raised  herself  on  her  toes  and  threw  her  arms 
round  her  husband's  neck.  She  kissed  him  tuice — 
[318] 


EXPLANATIONS 

there  were  tears  in  her  eyes,  but  there  was  nothing 
but  happiness  behind  the  tears,  as  Venner  did  not 
fail  to  notice. 

"  You  have  been  more  than  good,"  she  whispered. 
"Ah,  if  you  only  knew  how  I  have  missed  you,  how 
terrified  I  was  lest  you  should  take  me  at  my  word 
and  abandon  me  to  my  fate,  as  you  had  every  right 
to  do.  And  yet,  all  the  time,  I  had  a  curious  feeling 
that  you  trusted  me,  though  I  dared  not  communicate 
with  you  and  tell  you  where  you  could  send  me  so 
much  as  a  single  line.  I  was  fearful  lest  a  passionate 
appeal  from  you  should  turn  me  from  my  purpose. 
You  see,  I  had  pledged  myself  to  fight  the  battle  for 
Beth  and  her  lover,  and  for  the  best  part  of  three 
years  I  did  so.  And  the  strangest  part  of  it  all  is 
that  you,  my  husband,  from  whom  I  concealed  every- 
thing, should  be  the  very  one  who  eventually 
struck  straight  to  the  heart  of  the  mystery." 

"Yes,  that's  all  right  enough,"  Venner  smiled» 
"  but  why  could  not  you  have  confided  in  me  in  the 
first  instance?  Do  you  think  that  I  should  have 
refused  to  throw  myself  heart  and  soul  into  the  affair 
and  do  my  best  to  help  those  who  were  dear  to  you  ?  '* 

"I  suppose  I  lost  my  head,"  Vera  murmured. 
"But  do  not  let  us  waste  too  much  time  regretting 
the  last  three  years;  and  do  not  let  us  waste  too 
much  time  at  all,  or  we  shall  lose  our  train." 

"That  is  bringing  one  back  to  earth  with  a  ven- 
geance," Venner  laughed.  "But  come  along  and 
[319] 


THE  ISIYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

let  us  get  all  the  business  over,  and  we  can  look 
eagerly  forward  to  the  pleasure  of  aftenvards." 

It  was  all  done  at  length — the  long  explanation 
was  made  in  the  West  End  doctor's  drawing-room, 
and  at  length  Beth  seemed  to  understand  the 
complicated  story  that  was  told  her.  She  listen- 
ed very  carefully,  her  questions  were  well  chosen; 
then  she  flung  herself  face  downwards  on  the  couch 
where  she  was  seated  and  burst  into  a  passion  of 
weeping.  Vera  held  her  head  tenderly,  and  made  a 
sign  to  Venner  that  he  should  leave  them  together. 

"This  is  the  best  thing  that  could  happen,"  she 
whispered.  "If  you  will  come  back  in  an  hour's 
time  you  will  see  an  entirely  different  girl.  Don't 
speak  to  her  now." 

It  was  exactly  as  Vera  had  predicted,  for  when 
Venner  returned  presently  to  the  drawing-room, 
he  found  a  bright,  alert  little  figure  clad  in  furs  and 
eager  for  her  journey.  She  danced  across  the  room 
to  Venner  and  held  up  her  lips  for  him  to  kiss  them. 

"  I  understand  it  all  now,"  she  cried.  "  Vera  has 
told  me  absolutely  everything.  How  good  and 
noble  it  wac  of  her  to  sacrifice  her  happiness  for  the 
sake  of  Charles  and  myself,  and  how  wicked  I  must 
have  been  ever  to  think  that  Charles  could  have 
been  guilty  of  that  dreadful  crime.  Ever  since  then 
there  has  been  a  kind  of  cloud  over  my  mind,  a  cer- 
tain sense  of  oppression  that  made  everything  dim 
before  my  eyes.  I  could  not  feel,  I  could  not  even 
[320] 


EXPLANATIONS 

shed  a  tear.  I  seemed  to  be  all  numb  and  frozen, 
and  when  the  tears  came  just  now,  all  the  ice  melted 
away  and  I  became  myself  again.  Don't  you  think 
I  look  quite  different  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  look  as  if  you  would  be  all  the  better 
for  a  lot  of  care  and  fussing,"  Venner  said.  "  You 
want  to  go  to  some  warm  spot  and  be  petted  like  a 
child.  Now  let  us  go  and  say  good-bye  to  these  good 
friends  of  yours  and  get  down  to  Canterbury.  There 
is  somebody  waiting  for  you  there  who  will  bring 
back  the  roses  to  your  pale  cheeks  a  great  deal  better 
than  I  can." 

"  Isn't  Mr,  Gurdon  coming  with  us  ?  "  Vera  asked. 

"  He  can't "  Venner  explained.  "  I've  just  been 
telephoning  to  him,  and  he  says  that  he  can't  come 
down  till  the  last  train.  He  will  just  look  in  pre- 
sently after  dinner — he  is  sharing  my  rooms  with  me. 
But  hadn't  we  better  get  along  ?  " 

Canterbury  was  reached  at  length,  and  then  Mer- 
ton  Grange,  where  Le  Fenu  and  Evors  were  waiting 
in  the  portico.  Lord  Merton  had  not  yet  arrived; 
indeed,  Evors  explained  that  it  was  very  uncertain 
whether  he  would  get  there  that  nio-ht  or  not. 

"Not  that  it  makes  much  difference,"  he  said, 
eagerly.  "Of  course,  you  will  all  dine  with  me. 
For  my  part,  I  can't  see  why  you  shouldn't  stay  here 
altogether." 

"  Wliat  ?  "  Vera  cried,  "  without  a  chaperon  ?  " 

"I  Uke  that,"  Le  Fenu  exclaimed.  "What  do 
21  [ 321  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

you  call  yourself  ?  Have  you  so  soon  forgotten  the 
fact  that  you  are  a  staid  married  woman  ?  What  do 
you  think  of  that,  Venner  ?  " 

Vera  laughed  and  blushed  softly;  she  was  not 
thinking  so  much  now  of  her  own  happiness  as  of  the 
expression  of  joy  and  delight  on  the  face  of  her  sister. 
Beth  had  hung  back  a  little  shyly  from  Evors  as  they 
crossed  the  hall,  and  he,  in  his  turn,  was  constrained 
and  awkward.  Very  cleverly  Vera  managed  to  de- 
tach her  husband  and  her  brother  from  the  others. 

*'  Let  them  go  into  the  dining-room,"  she  whisper- 
ed.   "  It  doesn't  matter  what  becomes  of  us." 

"  But  is  she  really  equal  to  the  excitement  of  it  ?  " 
Le  Fenu  asked,  anxiously.  "She  must  have  had 
an  exceedingly  tiying  day." 

"  I  am  quite  sure  that  she  is  perfectly  safe,"  Vera 
said.  "  Of  course,  she  was  terribly  excited  and  up- 
set at  first,  but  she  was  quite  calm  and  rational  all 
the  way  down,  as  Gerald  will  tell  you.  All  Beth 
wants  now  is  quiet  and  change,  and  to  feel  that 
her  troubles  are  over.  Let's  go  and  have  tea  in  that 
grand  old  hall.  If  the  others  don't  care  to  come  in 
to  tea  we  will  try  not  to  be  offended." 

The  others  did  not  come  in  to  tea,  neither  were 
they  seen  till  it  was  nearly  time  to  dress  for  dinner. 
Assuredly  Vera  had  proved  a  true  prophet,  for  Beth's 
shy,  quiet  air  of  happiness  indicated  that  she  had 
suffered  nothing  through  the  events  of  the  day. 
It  was  a  very  quiet  meal  they  had  later  on,  but  none 
[322] 


EXPLANATIONS 

the  less  pleasant  for  that.  Dinner  had  come  to  an 
end  and  the  cigarettes  were  on  the  table  before  Gur- 
don  appeared.  He  earned  a  copy  of  an  evening 
paper  in  his  hand,  and  despite  his  usual  air  of  calm- 
ness and  indifference,  there  was  just  the  suspicion  of 
excitement  about  him  that  caused  Venner  to  stand 
up  and  reach  for  the  paper. 

"  You  have  news  there  for  us,  I  am  sure,"  he  said. 
"I  think  we  are  all  in  a  position  to  stand  anything 
you  like  to  tell  us." 

"You  have  guessed  it  correctly,"  Gurdon  said. 
"  It  is  all  here  in  the  Evening  Herald." 

"  ^\Tiat  is  all  here  ?  "  Le  Fenu  demanded. 

"  Can't  you  guess  ?  "  Gurdon  asked.  "  I  see  you 
can't.  It  is  the  dramatic  conclusion,  the  only 
conclusion  of  the  story.  Our  late  antagonist.  Fen- 
wick,  has  committed  suicide!'* 


[323] 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

This  Mortal   Coil 

It  cannot  be  said  that  Gurdon's  announcement 
caused  any  particular  sensation.  To  all  of  those 
who  knew  anything  about  the  inner  history  of  the 
Four  Finger  Mine  the  conclusion  appeared  to  be 
perfectly  logical.  It  was  Venner  who  mentioned  the 
secret  of  the  mine  before  anybody  had  even  the  curi- 
osity to  ask  to  see  the  paper. 

"  Do  you  think  that  this  has  been  the  outcome  of 
anytliing  that  Zary  did  ?  "  he  asked  Le  Fenu.  "  You 
see,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  was  only  in  the  mine 
once  or  twice,  and  before  your  father's  death  my 
knowledge  of  its  romantic  history  was  limited.  I 
can't  altogether  bring  myself  to  believe  that  the 
mine  was  haunted  by  avenging  spirits  and  all  that 
kind  of  thing.  In  this  twentieth  century  of  ours, 
one  is  naturally  very  cynical  about  such  matters." 

"  I  really  cannot  tell  you,"  Le  Fenu  replied.  "  Of 
course  there  must  be  human  agency  afoot.  Zary 
always  declared  that  he  was  the  last  of  liis  tribe,  and 
when  he  died  the  secret  of  the  mine  would  belong 
to  our  family  alone.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  my  fatbcr 
[324] 


THIS  MORTAL  COIL 

died  fir'6t,  so  that  Zary  alone  is  in  possession  of  the 
strange  secret  of  that  dread  place.  One  thing  is 
very  ceilain.  It  was  none  of  us  who  took  vengeance 
on  the  Dutchman  who  murdered  my  father.  Who 
was  responsilile  for  that  I  do  not  know.  Still,  there 
was  something  very  terrible  and  awe-strildng  about 
the  way  in  which  the  Dutchman's  fingers  returned 
to  his  wife,  one  by  one.  I  should  like  to  have  known, 
also,  how  Fenwick  lost  his  fingers.  But  Zar}'  would 
never  tell  me.  I  think  he  professed  that  it  had  been 
done  through  the  agency  of  the  spirits  of  his  departed 
ancestors,  who  guarded  the  mine.  Mind  you,  I 
don't  say  that  it  is  impossible,  for  we  are  beginning 
to  understand  that  there  are  hidden  forces  in  Nature 
which  till  quite  recently  were  a  sealed  book  to  us. 
It  is  no  use  speculating  about  the  matter,  because 
we  shall  never  know.  Zary  has  been  always  fond 
of  us,  but  I  have  a  feeling  now  that  we  shall 
never  see  liim  again.  I  believe  he  came  to  England 
on  purpose  to  accomplish  the  death  of  Mark  Fen- 
wick, and  you  may  rely  upon  it  that  he  will  vanish 
now  without  making  any  further  sign." 

"That  is  more  than  possible,"  Gurdon  said, 
thoughtfully;  "but  so  far  as  I  can  judge  from  what 
tliis  paper  says,  Fenwick's  death  seems  to  have  been 
prosaic  enough.  Perhaps  I  had  better  read  you  the 
account  in  the  newspaper." 

Without    waiting    for    any    further    permission, 
Gurdon  began  to  read  aloud: — 
[325] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"Strange    Suicide  in  the  Channel. 
"Death  of  Mr.  Mark  Fenwick. 

"Late  this  afternoon  the  barque  British  Queen 
put  back  into  the  Port  of  London  with  the  schooner 
Red  Cross  in  tow.  It  appears  that  the  barque  in 
question  was  bound  for  the  River  Plate,  and  had 
dropped  down  the  river  with  the  morning  tide. 
Outside  the  mouth  of  the  Thames  she  had  encount- 
ered exceedingly  squally  weather,  so  much  so  that  she 
had  lost  a  considerable  amount  of  running  gear 
owing  to  the  gusty  and  uncertain  condition  of  the 
wind.  About  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  an 
extra  violent  squall  struck  the  vessel,  and  the  skipper, 
Luther  Jones,  decided  to  put  back  again  and  wait 
till  the  next  tide.  It  was  at  this  point  that  the  Red 
Cross  was  sighted  making  signals  of  distress.  At 
considerable  hazard  to  himself  and  his  crew  the 
skipper  of  the  British  Queen  managed  to  get  the 
schooner  in  tow,  and  worked  her  up  the  river  on  a 
short  sail.  This  in  itself  is  simply  an  incident  il- 
lustrating the  perils  of  the  sea,  and  merely  leads  up 
to  the  dramatic  events  which  follow.  It  appears, 
according  to  Captain  Jones'  statement,  that  very 
early  this  morning  a  man  called  upon  him  in  a 
public-house  and  demanded  to  know  what  he  would 
require  for  a  passage  to  the  River  Plate.  Satis- 
factory terms  having  been  arranged,  the  stranger 
came  aboard  the  British  Queen  and  immediately 
[323] 


THIS  MORTAL   COIL 

repaired  to  his  bunk.  So  far  as  the  captain  could 
see,  his  passenger  was  exceedingly  reticent,  and 
desirous  of  avoiding  pubhcity;  in  fact,  the  skipper 
of  the  British  Queen  put  him  down  as  a  fugitive 
from  justice.  All  the  same  he  asked  no  questions; 
presumably  he  had  been  well  content  to  hold  his 
tongue  in  return  for  a  Uberal  fee  in  the  way  of  pass- 
age money.  So  far  as  Captain  Jones  knows,  his 
passenger  slept  comfortably  enough,  and  it  is  quite 
e\ndent  that  he  partook  of  breakfast  in  the  morning. 
What  happened  subsequently,  it  is  somewhat  diffi- 
cult to  say,  for  Captain  Jones  was  busy  on  his  own 
deck  looking  after  the  safety  of  his  ship.  These 
events  took  place  shortly  before  the  Red  Cross  was 
sighted. 

"It  was  at  this  time  that  Captain  Jones  beheves 
that  he  heard  a  shrill  scream  coming  from  the  cabin, 
as  if  his  passenger  had  met  with  an  accident,  or  had 
been  frightened  by  something  out  of  the  common. 
He  came  on  deck  a  moment  later,  looking  hke  a 
man  who  had  developed  a  dangerous  mania.  He 
seemed  to  be  flying  from  some  unseen  terror,  and, 
indeed,  gave  every  indication  suggestive  of  the  con- 
clusion that  he  was  suffering  from  a  severe  attack  of 
delinum  tremens.  Captain  Jones  does  not  share 
this  view,  though  it  is  generally  accepted  by  his  crew^ 
Before  anybody  could  interfere  or  stretch  out  a  hand 
to  detain  the  unfortunate  man,  he  had  reached  the 
side  of  the  vessel  and  thrown  himself  into  the  tre- 
[327  1 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

mendous  sea  which  was  running  at  the  time.  It 
was  absolutely  out  of  the  question  to  make  any  at- 
tempt to  save  him,  though,  naturally,  Captain  Jones 
did  what  he  could.  Then  occurred  one  of  the  strange 
things  which  so  frequently  happen  at  sea.  Five 
minutes  later  a  great  wave  breaking  over  the  fore- 
deck  cast  some  black  object  at  the  feet  of  Captain 
Jones,  which  object  turned  out  to  be  the  body  of  the 
unhappy  suicide.  The  man  was  quite  dead;  in- 
deed, he  had  sustained  enough  bodily  injuries  to 
cause  death,  without  taking  drowning  into  con- 
sideration. 

"  As  before  stated,  Captain  Jones  came  in  contact 
with  the  Red  Cross  a  little  later,  and  on  reaching  the 
safety  of  the  Pool  he  immediately  communicated  with 
the  police,  who  took  possession  of  the  body  of  the 
suicide.  On  Scotland  Yard  being  communicated 
with,  a  detective  was  sent  down  and  immediately 
recognised  the  body  as  that  of  Mr.  Mark  Fenwick, 
the  American  milhonaire. 

"  No  doubt  is  entertained  that  the  police  officer  is 
right,  as  Mr.  Fenwick  was  well-known  to  thousands 
of  people  in  London,  not  only  on  account  of  his 
wealth,  but  owing,  also,  to  his  remarkable  personal 
appearance.  At  the  present  moment  the  body  hes 
in  a  public-house  by  the  side  of  the  Thames,  and  an 
inquest  will  be  held  in  the  morning. 

"  Later. — Since  going  to  press,  we  hear  that 
startling  developments  are  expected  in  the  matter 
[3281 


THIS   MORTAL  COIL 

of  the  suicide  of  Mr.  jVIark  Fen  wick.  On  excellent 
authority  we  are  informed  that  the  police  hold  a 
warrant  for  the  arrest  of  Fenwick  and  others,  on  a 
series  of  criminal  charges,  among  which  that  of 
uttering  counterfeit  coin  is  not  the  least  prominent. 
If  these  facts  prove  to  be  correct,  it  will  be  easy  to 
see  why  Mr.  Fenwick  was  attempting  to  leave  the 
country  in  fugitive  fasliion.  Further  details  will 
appear  in  a  later  edition." 

"  That  is  the  whole  of  the  story,"  Gurdon  said 
when  he  had  concluded.  "  On  the  whole,  I  should 
say  that  Mark  Fenwick  is  very  well  out  of  it.  He 
has  had  a  pretty  fair  innings,  but  Fate  has  been  too 
strong  for  him  in  the  long  run.  It  is  just  as  well, 
too,  that  he  has  escaped  his  punishment — I  mean, 
for  your  sakes,  more  than  anything  else.  If  that 
man  had  been  put  upon  his  trial,  a  charge  of  murder 
would  have  been  added  sooner  or  later,  and  you 
would  have  all  been  dragged  from  pohce  court  to 
criminal  court  to  give  e%'idcnce  over  and  over  again. 
In  fact,  you  would  have  been  the  centre  of  an  un- 
pleasant amount  of  vulgar  curiosity.  As  it  is,  the 
inquest  will  be  more  or  less  of  a  formal  affair,  and 
the  pubUc  will  never  know  that  Fenwick  has  been 
anything  more  tlian  a  common  swindler." 

Venner  was  emphatically  of  the  same  view; 
personally,  he  was  exceedingly  glad  to  think  that  the 
knot  had  been  cut  in  this  fashion  and  that  the  un- 
[329] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

pleasant  business  was  ended.  He  discussed  the 
matter  thoughtfully  with  Gurdon  as  he  and  the  latter 
walked  in  the  direction  of  his  rooms,  for  he  had  re- 
fused to  spend  the  night  at  Merton  Grange,  though 
Vera,  of  necessity,  had  arranged  to  stay  there. 

"I  suppose  one  ought  to  be  thankful,"  he  said, 
"  that  matters  are  no  worse.  Still,  at  the  same  time, 
I  must  confess  that  I  should  like  to  have  a  few  words 
with  Zary.  I  wonder  if  we  could  get  him  to  take  us 
back  to  Mexico  with  a  view  to  exploring  the  Four 
Finger  Mine.  After  all  said  and  done,  it  seems  a 
pity  that  that  rich  treasure  house  should  be  lost  to 
the  world." 

"  Better  leave  it  alone,"  Gurdon  said.  "  It  makes 
me  creep  when  I  think  of  it.  All  the  same,  I  am 
with  you  in  one  thing.  I  should  certainly  like  to 
see  Zary  again." 

Gurdon  and  his  companion  were  destined  to  have 
their  wish  gratified  sooner  than  they  had  expect- 
ed. They  let  themselves  into  the  farmhouse  where 
they  were  staying,  and  Venner  turned  up  the  lamp 
in  the  big  rambling  sitting-room.  There,  half-asleep 
in  a  chair  before  the  fire,  sat  the  very  man  whom 
they  had  been  discussing.  He  appeared  to  be  heavy 
with  sleep — his  melancholy  eyes  opened  slowly  as  he 
turned  to  the  newcomers. 

"You  have  been  thinking  about  me,"  he  said — 
*'  you  have  been  wondering  what  had  become  of  me. 
We  are  strangers,  and  yet  we  are  not  strangers. 
[330] 


THIS   MORTAL  COIL 

Mr.  Venner  is  known  to  me,  and  ]Mr.  Venner's 
wife  also.  I  was  aware  that  my  dear  young  mistress 
was  his  wife  when  it  was  still  a  secret  to  everybody 
else.  You  are  puzzled  and  mystified  over  the  death 
of  Mark  Fenwick.  Mr.  Gurdon  has  been  reading 
an  account  to  you  from  a  newspaper." 

"You  are  certainly  a  very  remarkable  man," 
Gurdon  said.  "As  a  matter  of  fact,  that  is  exactly 
what  I  have  been  doing.  But  tell  me,  Zary,  how 
did  you  know  ?  " 

"You  have  a  great  poet,"  Zary  said,  calmly  and 
deliberately.  "  He  was  one  of  the  noblest  philoso- 
phers of  his  time.  I  have  read  him,  I  hope  to  read 
him  again  many  times.  His  name  is  Shakespeare, 
and  he  says  'there  are  more  things  in  Heaven  and 
earth  than  are  dreamt  of  in  our  philosophy.'  Gentle- 
men, that  is  so,  as  you  would  know  if  you  possessed 
the  powers  that  I  do.  But  I  could  not  explain — • 
you  would  not  understand,  for  your  minds  are  dif- 
ferent from  mine.  I  am  going  away;  I  shall  never 
see  my  dear  friends  again — for  the  last  time  we  have 
met.  And  because  I  could  not  endure  a  formal 
parting  I  have  come  to  you  to  give  them  all  a  message 
from  me.  It  is  only  this,  that  I  shall  never  cease  to 
think  of  them  wherever  I  may  be — but  I  need  not 
dwell  upon  that.  As  to  Fenwick,  I  did  not  design 
that  he  should  die  so  peaceful  a  death.  I  had 
gauged  his  mind  incorrectly;  I  had  goaded  him  into 
a  pitch  of  terror  which  drove  him  over  the  border- 
[331] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

land  and  destroyed  his  reason.  Therefore,  he  com- 
mitted suicide,  and  so  he  is  finished  with." 

There  was  a  pause  for  some  time,  until  it  became 
evident  that  Zary  had  no  more  to  say.  He  rose  to 
his  feet,  and  was  advancing  in  the  direction  of  the 
door  w^hen  Gurdon  stopped  him. 

"Pardon  me,"  the  latter  said,  "but  like  most 
ordinary  men,  I  am  by  no  means  devoid  of  my  fair 
share  of  curiosity.  What  is  going  to  be  done  in 
the  matter  of  the  Four  Finger  IVIine  ?  " 

Zary's  large  round  eyes  seemed  to  emit  flashes  of 
light.  His  face  had  grown  hard  and  white  like  that 
of  a  statue. 

"Well,"  he  demanded,  "what  about  the  mine?" 

"Why,  you  see,  it  practically  belongs  to  Mr. 
l<e  Fenu's  children,"  Gurdon  said.  "In  which 
case  it  should  prove  an  exceedingly  valuable  pro- 
perty." 

"The  mine  belongs  to  us,  it  belongs  to  me," 
Zary  cried.  "  I  am  the  last  of  my  tribe,  and  the  secret 
shall  die  with  me.  Man,  do  you  suppose  that 
happiness  hes  in  the  mere  accumulation  of  money? 
I  tell  you  that  the  thing  is  a  curse,  one  of  the  greatest 
curses  that  ever  God  laid  on  humanity.  To  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  us  this  life  of  ours  on  earth 
is  a  veritable  hell  through  the  greed  for  gold.  Of 
all  the  wars  that  have  brought  pain  and  suffering 
to  humanity,  none  has  done  a  tithe  of  the  harm 
"wrought  by  the  incessant  battle  for  the  yellow  metal 
[332] 


THIS  MORTAL  COIL 

"which  you  call  gold.  If  there  had  been  no  such  thing 
on  earth,  the  tribe  to  which  I  belong  would  to-day 
walk  as  gods  amongst  ordinary  men.  No,  I  shall 
do  nothing  to  pander  to  this  disease.  When  I  die 
the  secret  of  the  mine  perishes  with  me.  Never 
more  will  man  work  there  as  long  as  I  have  the  health 
and  strength  to  prevent  it." 

The  latter  part  of  Zary's  speech  had  sunk  almost 
to  a  whisper;  he  made  a  profound  bow  to  Venner 
and  Gurdon,  then  left  the  room  softly.  He  seemed 
to  vanish  almost  like  the  spirit  of  one  of  his  departed 
ancestors,  and  his  place  knew  him  no  more. 

"  Curious  man,"  Gurdon  said,  thoughtfully. 
"  Very  quiet  and  gentle  as  a  rule,  but  not  the  kind  of 
person  you  would  care  to  have  as  a  foe.  I  have  a 
verj'  strong  feeling  that  none  of  us  will  ever  see  Felix 
Zary  again.  Now,  don't  you  think  we  can  begin 
to  forget  all  about  this  kind  of  thing.''  Surely  we 
have  had  enough  horrors  and  mysteries,  and  I  can 
only  wonder  at  the  way  in  which  those  girls  have 
borne  up  against  all  their  troubles.  Tell  me,  what 
are  you  going  to  do  ?    I  mean  as  to  your  future." 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  really  haven't  given  it  a 
thought,"  Venner  said.  "It  is  not  very  often  that 
a  man  has  the  unique  experience  of  being  married 
three  years  wthout  a  honeymoon,  and  without  more 
than  half  an  hour  in  his  wife's  company.  You  can 
but  feebly  guess,  my  dear  fellow,  how  terribly  I  have 
suffered  during  the  time  to  which  I  refer.  Still,  I 
[333] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR   FINGERS 

trusted  my  wife  implicitly,  though  all  the  dictates 
of  common-sense  were  against  me,  and  I  am  sincere- 
ly and  heartily  glad  now  that  I  took  the  line  I  did. 
As  soon  as  possible,  I  intend  to  take  Vera  away  for  a 
long  tour  on  the  Continent.  \Maen  I  come  back 
I  shall  have  the  old  house  done  up  again,  and,  I 
suppose,  settle  down  to  the  life  of  a  country  gentle- 
man. But,  of  course,  I  can't  do  anything  till  Beth's 
future  is  settled.  I  suppose,  for  the  present,  she 
will  go  back  again  to  Le  Fenu's  doctor  friends, 
pending  her  marriage  with  Charles  Evors." 

"The  programme  is  all  right,"  Gurdon  said. 
*'But  suppose  Lord  Merton  objects  to  the  an-ange- 
ment  ? " 

"I  don't  fancy  that  he  will  do  that,  from  what 
I  hear,"  Venner  said.  "All  the  Evors  have  been 
wild  in  their  youth,  and  the  present  lord  is  no  ex- 
ception to  the  rule.  Depend  upon  it,  he  will  be 
very  glad  to  have  his  son  back  again,  happily  mar- 
ried, and  eager  to  become  domesticated.  Besides, 
from  what  I  understand  from  Vera,  her  father 
worked  the  Four  Finger  Mine  to  considerable  ad- 
vantage during  his  lifetime,  and  Beth  is  something 
quite  considerable  in  the  way  of  an  heiress.  On 
the  whole,  I  am  not  disposed  to  worry.  Now  let 
us  have  one  quiet  cigar,  and  then  go  to  bed  like  a 
pair  of  average  respectable  citizens.'* 


[334] 


CHAPTER  XXX 

A  Peaceful  Sunset 

"Upon  my  word,"  Evors  was  saying  to  Beth,  "I 
feel  as  nervous  as  an  Eton  boy  sent  up  to  the  head 
for  a  flogging.  It  is  just  the  same  sensation  as  I 
used  to  enjoy  in  my  schooldays ;  but  I  don't  care  what 
he  says,  I  am  going  to  marry  you  whether  he  likes 
it  or  not,  though,  of  course,  he  is  bound  to  like  it. 
No  one  could  look  at  that  dear  sweet  little  face  of 
yours  without  falling  in  love  with  you  on  the  spot." 

Beth  demurely  hoped  so;  she  pretended  an  easy 
unconcern,  though,  on  the  whole,  she  was  perhaps 
more  anxious  than  Evors,  for  the  latter  had  written 
to  his  father  at  some  length  explaining  how  matters 
stood,  and  Lord  INIerton  had  telegraphed  to  say 
that  he  would  be  at  home  the  folloNA-ine:  afternoon. 
The  afternoon  had  arrived  in  due  course,  and 
now  the  wheels  of  his  carriage  might  be  heard 
at  any  moment.  Vera  and  her  husband  were  not 
far  off;  they  had  promised  to  come  in  and  give  their 
moral  support  if  it  became  necessary. 

"  I  don't  see  how  he  can  possibly  help  liking  you," 
Evors  went  on.  "Thank  goodness,  we  shall  be 
spared  the  trouble  of  making  a  long  explanation. 
[335] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

If  my  father  had  been  against  the  arrangement 
he  probably  would  have  done  something  else  be- 
sides telegraphing  that  he  was  coming;  but  I  don't 
care,  it  doesn't  matter  what  he  says,  I  have  quite 
made  up  my  mind  what  to  do." 

"But  you  couldn't  go  against  your  father,'* 
Beth  said,  timidly. 

"  Oh,  couldn't  I  ?  My  dear  girl,  I  have  been  doing 
nothing  else  all  my  lifetime.  I  have  been  a  most 
undutiful  son,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  have  come 
near  to  breaking  my  father's  heart  many  a  time,  as 
he  nearly  broke  the  heart  of  his  father  before  him. 
In  common  fairness  he  will  have  to  admit  that  we 
Evors  are  all  alike  as  young  men ;  and,  in  any  case, 
I  couldn't  give  you  up,  Beth.  Just  think  how  faith- 
ful you  have  been  to  me  all  these  years,  when  all 
the  time  it  has  seemed  as  if  I  had  a  terrible  crime 
on  my  conscience.     Your  father's  death " 

Beth  laid  her  little  hand  upon  the  speaker's 
mouth. 

"Oh,  hush,  hush,"  she  whispered.  "I  implore 
you  never  to  speak  of  that  again.  They  told  me, 
or,  at  least,  that  dreadful  man  told  me,  that  you  had 
committed  that  awful  deed.  He  gave  me  the  most 
overw  helming  proofs,  and  when  I  demanded  a  chance 
to  speak  to  you  and  hear  from  your  own  hps  that 
it  was  all  a  cruel  he,  you  were  nowhere  to  be  found. 
This,  Fenwick  told  me,  was  proof  positive  of  your 
guilt.  It  was  such  a  shock  to  me  that,  for  the  time 
[336] 


A  PEACEFUL  SUNSET 

being,  I  lost  my  reason — at  least,  I  did  not  exactly 
lose  my  reason,  but  my  brain  just  seemed  to  go  to 
sleep  in  some  strange  way.  And  yet,  from  first 
to  last,  I  never  believed  a  word  that  Mark  Fenwiek 
said.  There  was  always  present  the  knowledge 
that  your  name  would  be  cleared  at  last,  and  the 
most  gratifying  part  of  it  all  is  the  knowledge  that 
there  can  be  no  scandal,  no  slanderous  tongues 
to  say  that  there  is  no  smoke  without  fire,  and  those 
wicked  things  that  sound  so  small  and  yet  imply 
so  much." 

"Don't  let  us  think  of  it.  Let  our  minds  dwell 
only  on  the  happy  future  that  is  before  us.  We  shall 
be  able  to  marry  at  once;  then  we  can  go  and  live 
in  the  old  ISIanor  House  by  the  park  gates.  The 
place  is  already  furnished,  and  needs  very  little  doing 
up.  Sooner  or  later  you  will  be  mistress  of  this 
grand  old  home,  though  I  hope  that  time  may  not 
come  for  many  years.     It  seems  to  me " 

But  Beth  was  not  attending.  She  seemed  to  be 
listening  with  more  or  less  fear  to  the  sound  of  wheels 
crunching  on  the  gravel  outside.  Evors  had  hardly 
time  to  reassure  her,  when  the  door  opened  and  Lord 
Merton  came  in.  He  was  a  tall  man  of  commanding 
presence,  a  little  cold  and  haughty-looking,  though 
his  lips  indicated  a  genial  nature,  and  he  could  not 
altogether  suppress  the  grave  amusement  in  his  eyes. 

"This  is  an  unconventional  meeting,"  he  said. 
*'I  received  your  letter,  Charles,  and  I  am  bound 
22  [  337  ] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

to  say  the  contents  would  have  astonished  me  ex- 
ceedingly had  they  been  written  by  anybody  but  an 
Evors.  But  our  race  has  always  been  a  law  unto 
itself,  with  more  or  less  disastrous  consequences. 
We  have  been  a  wild  and  reckless  lot,  but  this  is  the 
first  time,  so  far  as  I  know,  that  one  of  the  tribe  has 
been  accused  of  murder." 

"  It  is  a  wicked  lie,"  Beth  burst  out,  passionately. 
She  had  forgotten  all  her  fears  in  her  indignation. 
'*  My  father  was  killed  by  the  man  Fenwick  and  his 
colleagues.  That  has  all  been  proved  beyond  a 
doubt ! " 

Lord  Merton  smiled  down  upon  the  flushed, 
indignant  face.  It  was  quite  evident  that  Beth 
had  made  a  favorable  impression  upon  him. 

"I  admire  your  loyalty  and  your  pluck,"  he  said. 
"My  dear  child,  many  a  woman  has  risked  her 
happiness  by  marrying  an  Evors — not  one  of  them 
did  so  except  in  absolute  defiance  of  the  advice  of 
their  friends.  In  every  case  it  has  been  a  desperate 
experiment,  and  yet,  I  believe,  in  every  case  it  has 
turned  out  perfectly  happily.  It  was  the  same  with 
Charles's  mother.  It  was  the  same  with  my  mother. 
No  Evors  ever  asked  permission  of  his  sire  to  take 
unto  himself  a  wife;  no  Evors  ever  cared  fibout 
social  position.  Still,  at  the  same  time,  I  am  glad 
to  know  that  my  boy  has  chosen  a  lady.  When  he 
was  quite  a  young  man,  I  should  not  have  been  in  the 
least  surprised  if  he  had  come  home  with  a  flaunting 
[338] 


I 


A  PEACEFUL  SUNSET 

barmaid,  or  something  exquisitely  vulgar  in  the 
way  of  a  music  hall  artiste." 

Beth  laughed  aloud.  She  had  quite  forgotten 
her  fears  now ;  she  was  beginning  rather  to  like  this 
caustic  old  gentleman,  whose  cynical  words  were 
behed  by  the  smile  in  his  eyes. 

"I  am  very  glad  to  know  that  you  are  satisfied 
with  me,"  she  said,  timidly:  "It  is  good  to  know 
that." 

"I  suppose  it  would  have  been  all  the  same  in 
any  case,"  Lord  Merton  replied  with  a  smile. 
"You  would  have  married  Charles  and  he  would 
have  had  to  have  earned  his  own  li^^ng,  which 
would  have  been  an  excellent  thing  for  him." 

"Indeed,    he    wouldn't,"    Beth    laughed.     "Do 

you  know,  Lord  Merton,  that  I  am  quite  a  large 

heiress  in  my  way.     I  am  sure  you  won't  mind 

my  speaking  like  this,  but  I  feel  so  happy  to-day 

that  I  hardly  know  what  I  am  saying.     If  you  only 

knew  the  dread  with  which  I  have  been  looking:  for- 
es 

ward  to  meeting  you " 

"  Oh,  they  are  all  like  that,"  Lord  Merton  laughed. 
"To  strangers,  I  am  supposed  to  be  a  most  terrible 
creature,  but  everybody  on  my  estate  knows  how 
lamentably  weak  I  am.  They  all  take  advantage 
of  me  and  bully  me,  even  down  to  the  lads  in  the 
stable,  and  I  won't  disguise  from  you  the  satisfaction 
I  feel  in  the  knowledge  that  you  have  money  of  your 
own.  For  some  considerable  time  past  I  have  been 
[339] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

severely  economising  with  a  view  to  paying  off  some 
alarming  mortgages  on  the  estate,  so  that  I  should 
not  have  been  in  a  position  to  allow  Charles  much  in 
the  way  of  an  income.  It  will  be  my  ambition  when 
my  time  comes  to  hand  you  over  the  property  without 
a  penny  owing  to  anybody." 

"May  that  day  be  a  long  way  off,  sir,"  Charles 
said,  with  feeling.  "I  hope  to  assure  you  how  I 
appreciate  the  noble  manner  in  which  you  have 
forgiven " 


"  Say  no  more  about  it,  say  no  more,"  Lord  Mer- 
lon said.  He  seemed  to  have  some  little  difficulty 
in  the  articulation  of  his  words.  "Let  us  shake 
hands  on  the  bargain  and  forget  the  past.  I  was 
profoundly  interested  in  your  long  letter,  and  I  must 
confess  to  some  little  curiosity  to  see  your  other 
friends,  especially  Mrs.  Venner,  who  seems  to  hava 
played  so  noble  a  part  in  the  story.  I  understand 
that  she  and  her  husband  are  down  here.  I  suppose 
you  made  them  more  or  less  comfortable,  which 
must  have  been  a  rather  difficult  undertaking  in  the 
circumstances^  However,  I  have  arranged  to  have 
all  the  old  servants  back  to-morrow,  and  it  will  be 
some  considerable  time  before  I  let  the  old  house 
again.  Now  run  away  and  enjoy  yourselves,  and 
let  us  meet  at  dinner  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 
I  don't  want  it  to  appear  that  there  has  been  any- 
thing like  a  quarrel  between  us." 

So  saying.  Lord  Merton  turned  and  proceeded 
[  340  ] 


A  PEACEFUL  SUNSET 

to  bis  own  room,  leaving  Beth  in  a  state  of  almost 
speechless  admiration.  It  was  so  different  from 
anything  she  had  expected,  that  she  felt  as  if  she 
could  have  cried  for  pure  happiness.  The  sun  was 
shining  outside;  through  the  window  she  could  see 
the  deer  wandering  in  the  park.  It  was  good  to 
know  that  the  old  dark  past  was  gone,  and  that  the 
primrose  path  of  happiness  lay  shining  before  them. 
Presently,  as  they  wandered  out  in  the  sunshine. 
Vera  came  on  the  terrace  and  watched  them.  There 
was  no  need  to  tell  her  that  the  interview  with  the 
master  of  the  house  had  been  a  smooth  one.  She 
could  judge  that  by  the  way  in  which  the  lovers  were 
walking  side  by  side.  Venner  came  and  stood  by 
his  wife's  side. 

"  So  that's  all  right,"  he  said.  "  As  far  as  one  can 
judge,  they  have  managed  to  propitiate  the  ogre." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  calling  a  man  an  ogre 
in  his  own  house  ^ "  the  voice  of  Lord  Merton  asked 
at  the  same  moment.  "For  some  few  minutes  I 
have  been  keeping  an  eye  on  you  two,  but  I  suppose 
I  must  introduce  myself,  though  you  will  guess  who 
I  am.  Mr.  Venner,  w^ill  you  be  good  enough  to  do  me 
the  honor  of  introducing  me  to  your  wife  ?  I  have 
heard  a  great  deal  of  her  from  my  son.  Mrs.  Ven- 
ner, if  you  will  shake  hands  with  me  I  shaU  esteem 
it  a  great  favor." 

"Then  you  are  not  annoyed  w4th  us?"  Vera 
asked.  "  You  are  not  displeased  at  the  way  we  have 
[3-11] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

taken  possession  of  your  house?  I  am  afraid  that 
indirectly  we  have  been  the  cause  of  a  great  scandal." 

*'Oh,  don't  worry  yourself  about  that,"  Lord 
INIerton,  said  breezily.  "  There  have  been  far  worse 
scandals  than  this  in  great  houses  before  now; 
and,  at  any  rate,  it  does  not  touch  us.  I  am  afraid 
you  have  been  rather  inconvenienced  here,  and  that 
the  Grange  has  not  upheld  its  reputation  for  hos- 
pitality. Still,  I  hope  it  will  be  all  right  to-morrow, 
and  I  sincerely  trust  that  you  can  see  your  way  to 
stay  here  for  some  little  time  to  come.  I  am  going 
to  ask  my  sister.  Lady  Glynn,  to  come  down  and  act 
the  part  of  hostess.  Somebody  will  have  to  intro- 
duce Beth  to  the  county  as  my  future  daughter-in- 
law." 

"You  are  pleased  with  the  arrangement.'*"  Vera 
asked,  demurely. 

"Indeed,  I  am,"  Lord  Merton  cried.  "You 
do  not  know  what  an  eccentric  lot  we  are.  I  should 
not  have  been  at  all  surprised  if  Charles  had  come 
home  with  some  curiosity  in  the  way  of  a  bride,  and 
I  am  only  too  profoundly  grateful  to  find  that  he 
has  made  so  sweet  a  choice.  But,  tell  me,  you  wiU 
stay  here  some  little  time " 

"I  am  afraid  not,"  Venner,  said  regretfully.  "If 
you  will  allow  us  to  come  back  a  little  later  on,  I  am 
sure  that  my  wife  and  myself  will  be  very  pleased. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  Evors  will  be  impatient  to  claim, 
his  bride,  but  I  hope  he  will  wait  for  a  month  or  two 
[342] 


A  PEACEFUL  SUNSET 

at  least.  You  see,  I  have  a  bride  of  my  own,  though, 
in  a  way,  we  are  old  married  people.  I  don't  know 
whether  Charles  told  you  anything  of  our  stoiy%  but 
if  you  would  like  to  hear  it " 

Lord  Merton  intimated  that  he  had  already 
done  so.  He  expressed  a  hope  that  Venner  and 
his  wife  would  return  again  a  little  later  on;  then, 
making  some  excuse,  he  returned  to  the  house, 
leading  Venner  and  Vera  together.  For  some  little 
time  they  wandered  across  the  park  very  silently, 
for  the  hearts  of  both  were  full,  and  this  was  one  of 
those  moments  when  words  are  not  necessar}'  to 
convey  thought  from  one  mind  to  another.  Pres- 
ently Evors  and  Beth  appeared  in  the  distance  and 
joined  the  others. 

"Well,"  Venner  said  with  a  smile,  "it  is  some 
time  since  I  saw  two  people  look  more  ridiculously 
happy  than  you  two.  But  I  am  sincerely  glad  to 
find  that  the  ogre  is  only  one  in  name.  jNIy  dear 
Charles,  your  father  is  quite  a  delightful  person, 
I  quite  understood  from  what  you  told  me  that  we 
had  a  lot  of  trouble  in  store  for  us.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  seems  to  be  as  pleased  mth  the  course  of 
events  as  we  are." 

"He  seems  to  have  altered  so  much  lately," 
Evors  said.  "At  any  rate,  he  has  been  particularly 
good  to  me,  and  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  it.  Behold 
in  me  a  reformed  character,  ready  to  settle  down  to  a 

country  Hfe  with  Beth  by  my  side " 

[343] 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  THE  FOUR  FINGERS 

"Not  quite,  yet,"  Venner  said,  hastily.  "You 
will  have  to  curl)  your  impatience  for  a  bit;  you 
must  not  forget  how  Vera  has  suffered  for  the  sake 
of  you  both,  and  how  patiently  I  waited  for  my 
happiness.  You  must  promise  us  that  the  marriage 
will  not  take  place  under  two  months,  or  I  give  you 
a  solemn  warning  that  we  shall  not  be  there.  Our 
own  honeymoon " 

"Of  course  Charles  will  promise,"  Beth  said, 
indignantly.  "Oh,  I  could  never  dream  of  being 
married  unless  Vera  were  present.  And,  after  all, 
what  are  two  months  when  you  have  a  whole  lifetime 
before  you  ?  I  am  sure  that  Charles  agrees  with 
me." 

"I  don't,  indeed,"  Evors  said,  candidly.  "Still, 
I  am  not  going  to  be  disagreeable,  and  Beth  knows 
that  she  has  only  to  look  at  me  with  those  imploring 
eyes  of  hers  to  get  absolutely  her  own  way." 

They  left  it  at  that,  and  gradually  drifted  apart 
again.  When  Vera  and  her  husband  returned 
to  the  Grange,  the  setting  sun  shone  fully  in 
their  faces,  flinging  their  shadowy  far  Vjehind. 
Venner  paused  j.ist  for  a  moment  under  the  sombre 
shadow  of  a  clunp  of  beeches,  and  drew  his  wife  to 
his  side. 

"One   moment,"    he   said.     "We   have   not   yet 

decided   where  we  are  going.     I  have   everything 

in  readiness  in  London,  and  I  suppose  that  you  are 

not  lacking  in  the  matter  of  wardrobe.     Don't  tell 

[344] 


A  PEACEFUL  SUNSET 

me,  while  having  everything  that  woman  can  want 
in  the  way  of  dress,  that  you  have  nothing  to  wear." 

"  I  won't,"  Vera  said,  softly.  "  My  dear  boy, 
cannot  you  see  how  glad  I  shall  be  to  be  alone  with 
you  at  last.'^  Everything  is  going  well  here,  and 
Beth  is  entirely  happy.  You  have  been  very  good 
and  patient,  and  I  will  keep  you  waiting  no  longer. 
If  you  so  will  it,  and  I  think  you  do,  let  it  be  to- 
morrow." 

Venner  stooped  and  kissed  the  trembling  lips 
held  up  to  his.  Then  very  silently,  their  hearts 
too  full  for  further  speech,  they  turned  towards 
the  house. 


THE   END 


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much  strength  and  skill.  The  author  brings  out  with  sure 
touch  and  deep  understanding  the  mystery  and  poetry  of  the 
still,  frost-bound  forest. 

THE  CLAIM  JUMPERS 

A  tale  of  a  Western  mining  camp  and  the  making  of  a  man, 
with  which  a  charming  young  lady  has    much  to   do.    The 
tenderfoot  has  a  hard  time  of  it,  but  meets  the  situation, 
shows  the  stuff  he  is  made  of,  and  "  wins  out. " 
THE  WESTERNERS 

A  tale  of  the  mining  camp  and  the  Indian  country,  full  of 
color  and  thrilling  incident. 

THE  MAGIC  FOREST  :  A  Modern  Fairy  Sto;y. 

"No  better  book  could  be  put  in  a  young  bey's  hands," 
says  the  New  York  Sun.  It  is  a  happy  blend  of  knowledge 
of  wood  life  with  an  understanding  of  Indian  character,  as 
well  as  that  of  small  boys. 

Each  volume  handsomely  bound  in  cloth.  Price,  seventy- 
five  cents  per  volume,  postpaid. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  NEW  YORK 


THE  GROSSET  AND  DUNLAP  SPECIAL 

EDITIONS  OF  POPULAR  NOVELS  THAT 

HA  VE  BEEN  DRAMATIZED. 

BREWSTER'S    MILLIONS:       By    George    Barr 
McCutcheon. 
A  clever,  fascinating  tale,  with  a  striking  and  un- 
usual plot.     With  illustrations  from  the  original  New 
York  production  of  the  play. 

THE  LITTLE  MINISTER :    By  J.  M.  Barrie. 

With  illustrations  from  the  play  as  presented  by 
Maude  Adams,  and  a  vignette  in  gold  of  Miss  Adams 
on  the  cover. 

CHECKERS  :    By  Henry  M.  Blossom,  Jr. 

A  story  of  the  Race  Track.  Illustrated  with  scenes 
from  the  play  as  originally  presented  in  New  York 
by  Thomas  W.  Ross  who  created  the  stage  character. 

THE  CHRISTIAN :    By  Hall  Caine. 
THE  ETERNAL  CITY :     By  Hall  Caine. 

Each  has  been  elaborately  and  successfully  staged. 

IN  THE  PALACE  OF  THE  KING:    By  F.  Marion 
Crawford. 

A  love  story  of  Old  Madrid,  with  full  page  illustra- 
tions.   Originally  played  with  great  success  by  Viola 
Allen. 
JANICE  MEREDITH :     By  Paul  Leicester  Ford. 

New  edition  with  an  especially  attractive  cover, 
a  really  handsome  book.  Originally  played  by  Mary 
Mannering,  who  created  the  title  role. 

These  books  are  handsomely  bound  in  cloth,  are 
well-made  in  every  respect,  and  aside  from  their  un- 
usual merit  as  stories,  are  particularly  interesting  to 
those  who  like  things  theatrical.  Price,  postpaid, 
seventy-five  cents  each. 

GEOSSET    &    DUNLAP,    Publishers 
52  DUANE  STREET  ::  NEW  YORK 

WW^^— — JMMfci— iiwiiiiiwiii— a— angiiiMi«wi[iiii«» 


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THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


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A  A  001  431  018  9 


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